A Deal Unbroken
by indyanakin4
Summary: After The Vampire Diaries: Midnight. Elena makes a deal with the Celestial Court: Damon is brought back to life on the condition that Elena will be with him, not Stefan. No one else can know she made this deal. What about Stefan? Delena/Stelena. Rated M!
1. A Binding Decision

"We require your word, Miss Gilbert."

This Guardian was a woman, and in harsh, clipped tones she spoke over the hushed whispers and hurried muttering of her fellow Guardians. Elena simply stared into the darkness as their previous words sunk slowly into her consciousness, bringing with them an understanding that filled her with dread. She clutched at the edge of the chair in which she sat, her mind reeling.

"We are growing impatient," one of the Guardian's voices boomed loudly in the inky blackness, a deep bass in the background of white noise. This Guardian was a man, she could tell by the voice. She had not been permitted to see their true forms, so here she was in a room of complete darkness, making a deal with the beings that had, despite all their words otherwise, killed her parents.

Rage spiked in her gut as she thought of what these bastards had done to her life, her family. She had a sudden desire to unleash her Wings of Destruction right here, to put an end to these murderers that called themselves "Guardians". But no, they had stolen her Powers just as they had her mother and father, all those years ago. She couldn't even speak telepathically anymore, not to poor Bonnie or even to Stefan... _Stop it_, she scolded herself. _You're here for a reason. Don't let your anger get in the way of that reason._ Swallowing, she managed to keep her mouth shut and was temporarily glad for the darkness as it helped her keep her true feelings hidden. She had a deal to make, not for her Powers or freedom, but for her recently deceased beloved.

Damon Salvatore. His name sent the memories swirling back. They had been an amazing duo in the Dark Dimension. His love, her passion…her heart ached as she remembered his dark laugh, his silky smile meant only for her. She needed him back, with his witty humor always bringing an unbidden smile to her face. He was a part of her heart now, entwined in her happiness just as deeply as Stefan was.

Stefan...she knew she loved him too. Was she doomed to suffer the same fate as Katherine? In love with two boys, siblings even? She had to stop herself from laughing as she realized she would do exactly as Katherine did. She would burn for her two Salvatore brothers to finally have the relationship they deserved. But no, she wasn't Katherine; sure, she had her share of past boyfriends, but she didn't use men for her enjoyment. She didn't bring agony to another just because she had the power, and she certainly didn't enjoy deepening the rift between the two brothers that loved her. No, she was much better than Katherine. But still, Elena had to admit they had their similarities...

Both were in love with Stefan first, but unable to give up Damon. Stefan; the sweet, loving, honest and true vampire, he was nearly one of a kind. Damon; the darkness and strength many people never dare to dream of, but with a strange gentle courage. He was her addiction, she craved his understanding, which he gave even in the darkest of times; his unwavering trust in her provided her with strength she never knew she needed until it was gone. She knew what she had to do.

"I, Elena Gilbert," she drew a deep breath as if it were her last, "give you my word."

A light began to grow, illuminating and then blinding as it flared, almost as if it were burning for her. She stared into the depths even as she felt her eyes protesting against the intensity, refusing to back down. With a gut wrenching feeling that had nothing to do with the light, she thought, _Damon would have been proud of_-

Suddenly Elena jerked to her feet as she saw a figure in the light, limp as if on puppet strings in midair. It seemed universes away, yet she could feel a certain...presence. Before she could see any more than a silhouette the light cut off suddenly and she was left with her ears ringing with a fading message.  
>"Honor your word. Or you will wish you never made this deal."<p>

She felt someone stirring on the floor at her feet. Refusing to let herself even begin to feel the barest trace of hope, she hesitantly she reached out one shaking hand, when the lights snapped back on. A few seconds shivered by as she stood bent in shock, golden hair cascading over her shoulders, one hand reaching, staring at the man on the ground before her…

She fell to her knees with a noise that seemed halfway between a gasp and a cry of pure amazement. Time seemed to stop as she knelt there, knowing only her heart pounding with emotions she didn't dare address right now and the tears dripping from her lashes. She hardly even noticed herself falling into unconsciousness until the only thing she could feel was the strong, cool material of the familiar leather jacket clutched in her shaking fingers.

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><p>Everything was dark. Elena wondered where she was, and in doing so she realized she was awake. She opened her eyes, and finally understood that she was looking at a ceiling. Why was her brain so sluggish? She struggled to get her bearings as she slowly realized she was lying on a surprisingly comfortable bed, with stars outside an open window providing their glow as the only light in the otherwise pitch black room. She could feel a smooth sheet spread over her body, covering her where it mattered, so she chose to stop worrying about her decency and more about her environment.<p>

Turning her head to the side seemed to require an immense effort. She finally managed it after long minutes of fighting the exhaustion still threatening to overwhelm her. The sight she saw next to her was enough to send ice through her veins, chilling her entire body.

_DAMON! _He was as white as a corpse, hair fanning out on the pillow supporting his head, and as her eyes traveled slowly downward, down the flat expanse of his bare chest. Her eyes dropped lower and lower before her view was obstructed by a thin satin sheet draped lightly over him, barely concealing the last of toned abs and a small trail of hair leading to something beyond. Despite everything that had happened, the unknown area hidden by the crimson sheet kept taunting her, teasing her, no, _begging_ her to investigate further as she felt something begin to grow insider her, something strangely akin to desire...

She hadn't meant to broadcast her thoughts earlier, but they were so in tune with each other now he had received her wordless shout even in his unusual deep slumber. His eyes slowly slid open and like her it took him several moments to regain his full awareness. It was unusual for her to see him so relaxed and untroubled in these few moments of blissful ignorance before memories returned and he remembered exactly what it was that he had gone through.

His charcoal eyes met hers and she saw a certain calm there she had never seen before. _The calm before a storm. _She shivered despite the sheet covering her body and the warm night air surrounding them. She would have liked nothing better in that moment than to be in Damon's arms, yet movement was too much to ask for. For now, she would content herself with gazing into his bottomless black eyes and loving the genuine smile that was beginning to form on his face, all for her. That smile did crazy things to her heart...it pounded out that strange rhythm she had never quite grown accustomed to, for he was the first one who had awoken that foreign beat inside of her. She felt it blossoming into something scary and new, until it filled her entire being. Elena marveled at how simply looking at him could do this to her; it was as if she were seeing him in an entirely new way. Had that intense light done something to her eyes? Or was she finally now, for the first time, gazing upon him as just Damon, instead of as Stefan's brother?

She thought back to the last time she had looked into his eyes and felt regret wash over her. She had tortured him in that forest, for her own selfish reason that she was afraid to let him go. And in that moment, doing nothing more than gazing into his eyes, in such perfect affinity with him, Elena swore to herself she would never have to let him go again. Not until the day she died.


	2. A Morning of Surprises

Dawn broke early that morning, sunlight stretching its warming tendrils over the slumbering world below, illuminating trees just starting to sacrifice their leaves to the chilly autumn air that contained only a slight warning of the frigid winter that lay ahead. A thin carpet of leaves partially covered the pavement below, and the few bare branches on the trees creaked in the slight wind; the birds that braved the morning light chirped softly as the first telltale signs of human life reawakening after the long night began to show throughout the town. To these sounds Elena awoke for the second time, much more quickly with none of that strange fog clouding her brain. _Caused by the Guardians, _Elena realized belatedly. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she gazed at her sleeping bedmate for a few moments, concluded that he was in good health –considering his situation – and for the first time surveyed the room around her.

It took her a few seconds to come to the realization that, yes, they were in her room, her _old _room, complete with her old diary sitting neatly on the desk in the corner. It all felt so alien yet undeniable familiar; she hadn't set foot in that room in what felt like years, yet if needed she could have walked the entire room blindfolded without losing her footing once. She had grown up in this house, in this room; for a few moments, childhood memories threatened to overwhelm her. Reading books in this same bed as a young girl; Aunt Judith brushing her hair softly, stroking her head slowly as Elena herself sat there looking out that window into the bright glare of the sun; more recently, writing in that very diary sitting on the desk. Back in the present, her eyes zeroed in on the small hardback book. Hardly realizing what she was doing, she slowly peeled back the sheet and rose to her feet, never taking her eyes off the diary. Treading softly lest she wake the dozing vampire, she began crossing her room until she was close enough to reach out and stroke the cover of that sacred book, had she wanted to. Her fingers were trembling a mere inch above it –

But just as the first rays of light reached the window pane, bathing the room in a pale glow, she distinctly heard the sound of her aunt humming, along with footsteps treading softly on the stairs outside her bedroom, both growing closer and louder with each passing second; the diary would have to wait. She slipped back into the bed, under the sheets, her thoughts racing. If the Guardians could set her, not to mention Damon, back into her old room as if they were simply porcelain dolls in a dollhouse, she doubted the severity of the situation… for her at least. _Damon on the other hand, might cause Aunt Judith some alarm,_ she mused. The woman would have no idea why he was there, for due to the first negotiation with the Guardians everyone would have accepted Stefan as her one and only; having her aunt walk in on Damon in her bed would cause much more than a little trouble. With the door handle turning by the force of an unseen hand, Elena gave a silent prayer and grimaced as she quickly rolled the sleeping form next to her off the edge of the bed.

Damon, rarely one to be taken by surprise, now woke to find himself, not resting comfortably on a bed that smelled suspiciously like a certain girl he loved, but falling the few brief seconds to an unforgiving floor, landing with a muffled thud. He was opening his mouth to say something – just what, he wasn't entirely sure – when he heard a completely different voice start to speak.

"Oh, Elena! I thought you'd be sleeping, but it looks like you remembered what day it is after all. Your first day!" Her aunt beamed at her as Elena felt a strange foreboding building inside her at the woman's words.

Clearing her throat to rid her voice of any rasp, she hastily pushed herself into a sitting position as Aunt Judith sat on the edge of her bed and replied in a falsely cheery voice, "I just woke up."

"Well your breakfast is on the table." She patted the rise under the blanket that was Elena's thigh and stood again. Her next words left both the girl in the bed and the man crumpled on the floor in a state of shock. "And tell Damon that he did something wrong if you kicked him out last night." She winked and smiled slightly. "I think it's the first time I've seen you wake up alone in your bed in months!" Growing more serious, she went on, "Don't be too hard on the poor man. I've seen the way he looks at you. Besides, you've been dating for so long...you don't want to just throw away the last year of your life honey." With that, she walked out, leaving Elena staring at the door, her thoughts in turmoil. How could this happen? Her aunt knew _Damon_? She distinctly remembered her first deal with the Guardians. She felt herself drifting into memory…

_Feeling defiance lifting her chin, she returned the gaze of the Guardians with her own icy glare. Stefan and Sage stood with her, giving her the courage to make her demands."I want a _new_ life, with my real old life behind me. I want to have graduated with my high school class, and I want to go to Dalcrest College. I want to wake up in my Aunt Judith's house in the morning and find that no one realizes I've been gone for almost ten months. _And I want everyone to accept Stefan as my boyfriend. _I want everything that happened in Fell's Church undone! I want everyone back!"  
><em>  
>Vaguely she heard Damon picking himself off the floor and the creak of the bed springs as he dropped his weight upon them. One could only imagine what he was thinking. He sat motionless, watching her impassively, not revealing any of his thoughts; however it was all Elena could to do remain upright in bed as she was hit with a devastating blast of realization. <em>The Guardians had changed her first demand.<em> There was only one way Aunt Judith could possibly think Damon a normal household figure and that was if instead of everybody accepting _Stefan_ as her boyfriend, the Guardians had caused them to accept…

"Damon?" Her voice was flat with shock and echoed in the stunned silence. After a few seconds that seemed like several long minutes, his voice floated through the heavy layer of shock over Elena's mind. It seemed to echo there, a minnow darting around a fishbowl, ripples of distress causing turbulence in Elena's usually clearheaded mind. However, Elena didn't particularly mind this disturbance, as it let Damon's voice circle in her mind, let her hear the different tones and inflections; hearing its familiarity in a time of such confusion comforted her immensely. It took her a few moments to focus enough to digest his actual words:

"You have some explaining to do."

The most Elena could get out was a few choked noises. Taking a shuddering breath, she tried again, and managed a strangled sentence. "The Guardians have changed things more than we thought."  
>Looking up, she finally met Damon's gaze, their eyes locking and saying there, the only truly familiar thing in the sea of anxiety and uncertainty that was now their new reality. Everything seemed to stand still, nothing moved, nothing existed but this moment, Damon and Elena...<br>She reached out slowly and hesitantly to his hand on the bed, and laid her fingers over his, feeling the invisible tremors and trembling running through. Possibly to hide this rare display of weakness, he captured her whole hand in his, and as the dim glow of the morning sun gradually intensified, they simply held on.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading! This is my first story so I hope you enjoy!<br>Yep, I'm going to be one of those pesky authors that begs you to...Please review! Pretty please? :)**


	3. Breakfast Feast

The bright light shining through the front window dazzled her eyes as she peeked down the stairs. Sure enough, there was nothing to be seen in the spotless kitchen, save for a slightly steaming plate of scrambled eggs and a few papers lying next to the plate. Elena noticed Robert pulling out of the driveway, the small form of Margaret – _it was really her_ – barely visible in the front seat next to him. After watching the car drive out of sight, she became conscious of Damon behind her and just how closely pressed their bodies were after he had leaned forward to observe over her head; she tried not to focus on the way his hard muscled body molded against hers and instead gathered herself as she took the last few steps down the stairs and stood in the entrance of the kitchen. After investigation of the papers on the table, revealing themselves as registration papers from Dalcrest college, they now both knew their class schedules. Damon made to step into the sunlight, but Elena called him back.

"Do you have your ring?" She figured double checking could never hurt.

"Of course. Although the sun feels particularly bright this morning." He grimaced distastefully as he stepped into the rays of sun streaming in the window and slid the blinds shut, effectively stowing them away from sunlight and prying eyes. Elena couldn't help noticing his fingers still slightly quivering just as they had earlier; fingers shaking, pain from the sunlight...?

She opened her mouth to inquire about his obvious weakness when suddenly she found a finger pressed delicately to her lips. Her upturned eyes were met with a smirk as she took note of the forkful of scrambled egg rising steadily towards her mouth. His finger was replaced by said fork, the delectable scent of egg and cheese curling up to her nose as she inhaled softly, savoring the rich smell. Playfully she pressed her mouth tighter, suppressing a smile when the fork nudged her lips gently, prompting, until she finally gave in and enjoyed the flavor of the eggs. The dish had always been a childhood favorite of hers and she couldn't resist licking her lips to prolong the happy taste. Of course, it was a complete coincidence that she happened to be gazing into Damon's eyes at the time, that her smile finally broke through, lighting up her face; she couldn't help but notice his breathing falter and his lips part ever so slightly as he stared at her tongue making its slow progress, grazing lightly across first the bottom, then the top lip. He moved closer, dropping the fork to the table with a clatter, never breaking eye contact as he brushed a small hair from the corner of her mouth. His hand continued on its path, his knuckles brushing down along her jawline and down her silken throat, and she idly wondered how long it had been since he had fed; ah, so there was the explanation of his weakness-

He successfully stopped her train of thought by leaning in, a predator charming his prey, and, still locked in his eyes, she could feel his lips hovering above hers. "You missed a spot," he murmured, and she could not contain a shiver as his tongue gently traced the outer corner of her mouth. All reason fled as she turned her head, capturing his lips with hers and her own tongue came out to meet his, her lips moving against his in many different ways, all of them new to her. It was as if she was kissing for the first time.

All she could feel was his lips, and it felt as though she was kissing fire; her own lips were burning, though not unpleasantly, raw desire coursing through them, tongues meeting in a passionate exchange and bringing her knees dangerously close to losing their fight with gravity and sending her crashing to the floor. Damon seemed to know this and hoisted her against him, moving so she could comfortably sit on the table, the scrambled eggs knocked to the floor, forgotten in the haze of lust they were lost in. Their desire heightened as the slow, searing kiss morphed into something more primal, more urgent; wrapping her legs around his waist, Elena ground herself against him and was rewarded with a deep growl as Damon bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and sucked until there was no possibility of rational thought in her mind. What was making her feel this way? This was a new yet familiar feeling she hadn't felt in so long, and she was overcome; all she knew was his lips making their way down her jaw, feeling sharp bites followed by that sweeping tongue, alternations of unexpected pain and undeniable pleasure. Her hands moved to his taunt biceps and blood began to flow as she dug her nails in, throwing her head back as twin fangs pierced her neck; pain and pleasure were one now as she rode the sensations flowing through her body. Damon drank greedily, and she loved it. She wanted him tofeed on her, to _claim_ her, for everybody to know that her body was his; there would be no living if she could never feel this ecstasy and she pressed herself even closer to him in an attempt to communicate her feelings.

Vaguely Elena realized she was cold, very cold. Sluggishly she dragged herself back from the brink of pure pleasure and grappled in her mind for a moment before a new wave of sensation nearly overwhelmed her once again. Why was the room spinning? She became aware of her head laying back as pleasure radiated from her neck and her hands still gripping arms, fingers shaking from the force she was exerting. She forced her hands to relax and let them drop limply to her sides. Everything was so fuzzy...if only she could look around. After a feeble attempt to raise her head she realized that was far too much to ask for, and simply went limp, feeling the last of her strength drain from her. Why wasn't Damon helping her...

_Damon_, she repeated the name in her mind. _Damon. Damon. Damon. _This mantra would save her. _Damon. Damon..._

Abruptly the pleasure cut off; she felt suddenly chilled and everything remained out of focus. Dimly she heard a male voice speaking urgently and felt a wet liquid sliding over her lips. She urged her tongue to investigate this foreign invader and found that she quite liked the taste of the substance now flooding her mouth so she began to gulp it down in earnest. Already she could feel her strength slowly returning as the blood began flowing throughout her body and soon she could muster the strength to raise her head. The first thing she saw was blood dripping from the deep cut in Damon's wrist and his eyes dark with worry and guilt. _Guilt? _She labored to push herself up and commanded her shaky muscles to obey; Damon assisted her and soon she was seated on a stiff wooden chair as the vampire knelt on the ground before her. His next words took her completely by surprise.

"Elena, Elena, I am so sorry. Are you okay? There is no excuse– "

"Damon, stop. What happened? The last thing I remember is..." Elena trailed off and a slight blush colored her cheeks. The last thing she remembered was, well, being completely overcome with want and need. As if unable to wait for her to finish her sentence Damon began pacing in front of the table, looking agitated, yet the depths of his eyes were still haunted. He didn't wait for her to finish, but began speaking once more, his voice harsh.

"I took too much. I should have had more self control," his voice grew louder as he went on. "I almost drained you. A few more seconds and you would have been_ dead_." At this last word he whirled, overcome by frustration, eyes boring into hers, face intense. Elena simply stared; usually Damon was always one of composure and confidence and she had never seen him this shaken. He must have been laboring to control his thirst this entire time, and with Elena's lack of realization it was only to be expected that he succumb to his nature; he was, after all, a vampire, there was no denying that fact.

A few moments passed in silence before she dared to speak. "Damon..." she began gently. At the sound of her voice he raised his eyes to hers. Seeing the turmoil inside them she forced herself to her feet, forced her legs not to waver. "Damon, stop. Don't torture yourself. It's my fault-" she broke off at the look on his face.

"Don't you _dare_ say this is your fault."

"I should have been honest with you." Taking a deep breath, she collected her thoughts and continued, "I don't know how much you remember, but...you died." This brought him up short and he stopped pacing, his back to her. His abrupt lack of movement sent a spike of fear through Elena and she hastily added, "Let me explain. Remember I mentioned the Guardians..."

It was some time later that she finally fell silent. They were back up in her bedroom, Elena leaning against the headboard of her bed with Damon lying next to her, his feet propped on a small pillow. For a few minutes she kept quiet, letting it all sink in, the overload of information she had just given him. She only saw a few emotions flit across his face, none last more than a split second: shock, anger, and something else she couldn't quite place. It was after this last one that he finally spoke.

"So I...died...for Bonnie?" He drifted back to his thoughts for a few moments. "And what of her now? It would be a pity should my death be in vain."

The silence resumed as Elena felt a brief sense of guilt that she had not spared any thought for the small vulnerable red head, or the dark haired beauty for that matter. Thinking about her best friends caused worry and uncertainty to knot in her stomach, so she squashed the feelings down, burying them deep; she would go to school tomorrow and find out what everyone else was up to. The thought of where she was supposed to be distracted her and leaning forward slightly she had the perfect view of the sky, in which the sun had long since reached its zenith and was now beginning its slow descent to the horizon; this put it at around two in the afternoon. Their last classes on the first day of college would be drawing to a close very soon, with neither of them showing up for a single moment during the entire day. She snorted and caught a quizzical look from Damon. "Our first day in college and neither of us attend."

"_Your _first day in college." His tone took on a fleeting sense of playful sarcasm as he added, "You forget I have way too much free time."

She looked at him in confusion for a minute before she remembered that he had already studied at countless universities; having obscene amounts of extra time on your hands seemed like a common side effect for all vampires. "Regardless, not the way I pictured my first day." Something in her words caused him to grow sober, staring into the sun although she knew it had to be burning his sensitive eyes; even if he had feasted on her old Powerful blood it would have caused some damage. She took his chin in her hand and redirected his eyes at her. "Damon..."

Twisting onto his side, he positioned himself at eye level and stared at her for several seconds before responding. "Elena, I'm sorry; nearly killing you..." He trailed off, refused to drop his gaze, which retained the same intensity as before. "I give you my word I will never put you in that danger again."

"You also saved me." His expression remained unchanged. "You were too weak to go hunting and you needed at _least_ that much blood." He opened his mouth to argue but she continued quickly. "You didn't hesitate to give me your own blood, even though you still weren't as strong as you should have been. You made yourself weaker, to save me. Thank you, Damon." Before he could speak, she took advantage of his parted lips and kissed him softly.

Something inside him seemed to melt at her touch and they stayed connected for a long while, both leaning forward and finding solace in each other, the one true understanding in the center of the harsh world, their kiss evaporating away the tension and poisonous thoughts that thrived inside. Worries, regrets, horror all dissolved away in the comfort they found in the other, the events of the day proving only to strengthen the trust growing ever stronger between them. The trust of forgiveness, of open arms always waiting, the trust of truth and strength when united. An eternity later, it was not Elena but Damon that drew back, eyes finally free of the turmoil that had previously taken root.

"Be right back," he said simply, and Elena was left still leaning forward, lips still parted, feeling the ghost of his touch on her skin. She settled back in the bed, intending to simply relax, when her fatigue got the better of her and she slipped into the utter peace that is dreamless sleep.

By the time the other residents of the house arrived home they found a spotless kitchen and a note on the table scrawled by Damon's hand:

_Elena wasn't feeling well so we opted to stay home today. No need to prepare her dinner, if she is hungry when she wakes up I'll take care of it._

Thankfully, there were no interruptions throughout the rest of the evening, and the couple in the bedroom remained undisturbed the entire night. Long after the house had stilled, one man lay alert; leaning on a single elbow he stared at the beauty in the bed beside him. With long strands of golden hair scattered on the pillow above her and her face wiped free of the stresses of life, she made quite the picture of perfection.

Gazing down at her, Damon was astounded at how much beauty could manifest inside a single person; and wondered at what he could possibly do to deserve such a glorious woman. How could she possibly belong to _him_? Then again, she didn't...his thoughts took on darker paths as he prepared for the task he has promised himself he would do; resigned, he steadied his mind and began probing the town of Fell's Church for traces of his brother.


	4. A New Beginning?

**Bella Swan makes a cameo appearance in this chapter! Hehehe, see if you can spot her ;) All characters belong to L.J. Smith! R&R Please! Love to you all!:3  
><strong>

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><p>As the sun rose that next Wednesday morning, Elena drifted out of a dream with a feeling of happiness that she immediately connected with Damon. This feeling soon gave way to bewilderment as she tried to remember exactly what she had been dreaming about. The more she puzzled over it, the more obscure her memory became and the further the details of the dream slipped away, tendrils of smoke curling elusively around the edge of her memory before dancing away into the shadows of her consciousness. Momentarily admitting defeat, she dragged herself upright in bed and experienced a few moments of dizziness from her sudden movement. When the world had again righted itself, she desperately searched the bed for a familiar form next to her, finding no one, before discovering a small paper on the pillow next to her. Cautiously unfolding it, his scribbled words made her smile: <em>Students need a way to get to school, yes? Robert may complain of some missing money later...<em>

Although she did not completely condone stealing Robert's money, she chuckled despite herself as she began packing her back for her first – supposedly second – day of college.

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><p>Despite leaving the house unbelievably late considering that Elena's class began in roughly fifteen minutes, they arrived on time due mostly to two things: Damon's newly acquired – not to mention fast – motorcycle, and his uncanny ability to avoid the law. The school was usually a twenty minute drive away, when obeying the speed limit, but twenty minutes was time they didn't have.<p>

"You better hold on tight," Damon said with a wink as she wound her arms around his waist; she felt as if she might fall of at any moment, and the bike wasn't even moving yet.

Thank God she didn't have a weak stomach, because he took the on ramp at seventy miles per hour, and shot along the freeway even faster, weaving between and around cars, earning many honks and more than a few obscene hand gestures. Elena couldn't help but agree with them as she clung closer to the cool back of Damon's jacket, terrified for her life, coupling his name with every swear word she could think of in her mind. She knew they must look like two crazy teenagers with a death wish, Damon clad in his standard leather jacket and her in her own black sweater, long blonde hair restrained in Damon's riding helmet which was, of course, black. He suddenly called out to her, but his voice was swept away by the wind whipping alongside them. Without warning, she was catapulted against his back, and it was only with his astounding strength that he kept them both on the bike safely. The wind around them died down, and she gauged that he must have dropped about twenty miles per hour in about two seconds.

"What the fuck!" she yelled, the right side of her face aching from where it had collided with the inside of the helmet; she knew that he must have felt the hard helmet smash into his hard muscled back.

"Cops," he replied in a steely voice. "Or did you _want_ to get pulled over on the way to school?" Sure enough, as they rounded a coming bend, she spotted a lone black and white vehicle sitting there, waiting for its chance to jump into action..

"How did you know it was there?" she asked in reply, the new mystery distracting her from her still aching face. He neglected to answer, and as they rounded the next bend, he accelerated again, out of sight of the police; she was forced to duck her head into the shelter of his back to avoid the sting of the wind against her eyes. She had to remind herself to tell him to get a helmet with a visor next time.

Thanks to his insane driving they arrived in the parking lot with a few minutes before Elena's class, with Damon's starting half an hour later. She never would have made it in time if they had been pulled over – not that she would ever admit that to Damon. After sliding off the bulky helmet, they began heading to her class and she shot him a sideways glance and caught him sliding on a pair of black – did he wear any other color? She would have to force him into a yellow shirt one of these days – Ray Bans. He caught her questioning stare.  
>"You expect me to make eye contact and <em>converse <em>with these people?" He snorted, indicating a young brunette woman – she was deathly pale, that couldn't be healthy – nearby, sitting in a dented red truck, pouring over a Twilight book. Was it just Elena's opinion, or did the girl seem to have no real personality to speak of? "Please. I bet you her boyfriend wears glitter to school or white makeup or _something_."

She allowed a small smile and shook her head in exasperation. Soon they reached her destination and she had mere seconds before she was late. Turning, she balanced on tip toe to level a stare into Damon's eyes. He stared right back, and she felt the intensity of his gaze even through his dark sunglasses. "Behave, Damon," she said seriously.

A smile threatened to turn up one corner of his mouth. "You know me, always on my best behavior. I'm sure I'll find something to entertain myself." Not dropping his stare, Elena sank back to her heels before she turned and walked into the classroom.

Nobody spared her a second glance save for the male eyes that followed her to her seat, watching her uncomfortably closely. _Confidence is key. S_he took up this mantra in her mind; perhaps this simple sentence could get her through the day unscathed. She had taken the seat in the back corner of the room, and she forced her eyes to the front where the word Calculus was written on the board. Despite the long sleep she was certain she had been put through this past night, it was all she could do to keep her eyes open when all she wanted was to escape this confusion and return to the comforting world of dreams, laughter, perfection. She compromised by staring at the notebook she had let flop to her desk – it had yet to be opened – when it occurred to her that she should at least make an effort to pay attention; the professor was already explaining what she was supposed to know. However she immediately squashed the thought and put her mind to the more important task of figuring out what she was going to do.

She was a fool for trying to bargain with the Guardians when she knew that their power was vastly greater than hers. She had been so singular in her thinking, so wrapped up in her selfish demands, that she hadn't even contemplated the effect of her words. A rush of loneliness caught her by surprise as her thoughts came upon what she had refused to let herself think about earlier.

A now living undead man who was alive more than a hundred years ago...it was hard to wrap her mind around. One thing was certain: she would never let anything take Damon from her again. The intensity of these feelings, the conviction solidifying inside her, took her by surprise; she almost wished she had never met him. If their paths had never been entwined like this, bound together by such strong threads of destiny, she never would have felt the crippling pain of losing what was never truly hers. But now what was he to her? To everyone else he was her boyfriend; to her he was...

She stopped that train of thought as soon as it started. Why was she thinking like that? She already had Stefan...and oh how she missed him. It felt like a piece of her was missing, and she desperately wanted him back. He was her other half, the sense of completion and _meaning_ she had struggled to find all those years since her parents' deaths. Where was he? Why hadn't he come to her already? He had to be here somewhere, those bastards wouldn't just wipe a vampire off the map; even they had lines they could not cross. She shuddered to imagine a being more powerful than the Guardians, something so infinitely powerful it could wipe out dimensions on a single whim...a terrifying thought occurred to her. _Could the Guardians do that?_ Who was she to believe she knew the extent of their power? To be able to bring someone back from the dead, and a vampire none the less, took powers greater than the imagination could intelligently comprehend. Was she ever safe from their prying eyes? Were they watching her right this instant...?

The sudden coordinated rise of every student startled her out of her reverie, and glancing quickly around she saw books disappearing, backpacks shouldered; she hastily shoved her still untouched notebook back into her bag and let the current of bodies jostle her out of the room.

* * *

><p>There were so many students in the school's library: most sat diligently writing in notebooks or typing reports, reminding Elena of the research that she had yet to do. Of course, she missed the first day and was already falling behind – it was so <em>college.<em>

Wandering past the dutifully focused students, she pondered where her friends were. It was as if this thought had unearthed a well of anxiety inside her that she had attempted to quell since leaving her classroom ten minutes ago. It stemmed from deep in her core, filling her whole being. Where was Stefan? Bonnie, Meredith, Matt...were they all unharmed? She hadn't seen any of them if they were; and how would they take the news of her new deal? Taking a seat at a secluded table, she put her mind to thinking once more.

They wouldn't understand, she realized. Her heart took up a new residence in her toes and threatened to sink farther as her thoughts grew darker. Was it a lifetime deal she had made? And would she ever–

"_Elena? _Is that you?" a shocked voice startled her out of her depressing thoughts. She felt a genuine smile stretch across her face as the bubbly red-head enveloped her in a surprisingly tight hug for such a small framed girl. "Oh Elena, you're alive!"

"Bonnie! You're safe! Where have you been! Where is everybody?" Now that she had regained her voice, Elena had a hard time keeping it at a library-appropriate whisper as well as stopping the questions now flowing from her.

"Well about an hour ago I had a class with Meredith and – Oh, you'll never guess who is here! Never in a million years!" Bonnie's did a little happy dance as her smile ran the risk of falling off her face if it grew any larger, and Elena thought she had an inkling of who her friend was talking about. Bonnie continued in a hushed whisper, bending over to speak softly into Elena's ear and her voice took on a subtle tone that Elena had heard too many times before, when Bonnie would gossip about her latest infatuation or the attractive boy walking by. "Damon! _Our _Damon Salvatore! I couldn't believe it when I saw him...lounging...there. I never thought I'd look into those dark eyes ever again," she flopped into a nearby seat at the table, sighing happily, and Elena began to wonder what exactly her friend's motives were, not to mention the vampire in question. Choosing not to dwell on that particular topic, Elena turned her attention back to the conversation at hand. "–he was always so _powerful. _I still can't believe he was even...you know...in the first place." Bonnie shuddered and gave her head a slight shake. "But we're here now, safe and sound."

"What about Stefan, and Matt?" Elena dropped her head to the table, blonde hair spilling everywhere, nearly giving into the growing level of worry inside her.

Bonnie's voice took on more concern. "I haven't seen either of them...Stefan must be okay, he's so strong. But Matt, he's only human," she paused briefly, before continuing in a stronger voice. "We must not have come across them. It's a big campus after all," she soothed. Elena was grateful that Bonnie was filling the role of optimist and grasped her friend's hand tightly in a silent thank you. Raising her head from the table, she caught sight of the clock hanging next to a nearby bookshelf, revealing that nearly and hour had passed since her last class. Pulling out her now slightly crumpled schedule and checking the time again, she realized it was indeed time for her next class.

Saying goodbye wasn't easy; the petite girl loathed being alone, and with her single class of the day over, she was left to wait by herself at the bus stop. However, it had to be done and Elena ambled into her World Mythology class content in the knowledge that two of her friends were perfectly fine – a feeling made more complete by the fact that Matt made his way in a few minutes later. He caught sight of her and surprise, then relief, flooded his face; she knew the emotion was mirrored on her own as well. He slid into the seat alongside her and pulled her into a tight one-armed hug as best as he could in their current seating arrangement.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Um, going to my class?"

"You're in this class? Where were you–"

"–yesterday? I...didn't feel well," Elena finished lamely, using the same excuse Damon had given to her Aunt. Matt simply stared at her with a mix of sarcasm and disbelief, but as he opened his mouth to continue his interrogation the professor chose that moment to begin her lecture. Elena couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief and for the next hour, there was only the sound of pencil on paper permeating the air between them; she couldn't help wondering...

How long would she be able to hide the truth from Matt and her friends, let alone Stefan?


	5. Misunderstood

Finally, that torturous Mythology class was over. Elena dawdled while packing her things, and because she had actually forced herself to take notes this class, there were enough items on her desk to make this display plausible. Matt stood, looming over her for a few seconds, before shaking his head slightly, forehead creased with worry, and heading out the door. After giving him a head start, she left the classroom and walked in the general direction of the parking lot, hoping that wherever Damon was, he would have enough sense to meet her there; all the while, she kept her eyes open for any sign of Stefan among the students rushing towards the promised fun and relaxation of home. Reaching the quad, she spotted Damon lounging on a table, feet on the bench beside it, and hands splayed out behind him with elbows locked to support his body; he was sitting all alone, although being eyed by dozens of girls as they walked by, but it seemed that something in his posture sent the message that he was to be left alone. He appeared to enjoy giving off the impression of a lion relaxing in its den, one moment perfectly poised, the next moment pouncing at prey worthy enough for its attention. He had donned the sunglasses again to hide his eyes, so the passing students brave enough to chance a look could only guess at where his eyes were focused. Put this together with his leather jacket and dark wash jeans, and he made the perfect expression of arrogance. However, from the corner of her eye she noticed a sight that made her heart pick up, holding the steady beat of a helicopter's blade, blood pounding through her body: Stefan, Bonnie, Meredith, and Matt, clumped together at a similar table across the courtyard, obviously watching her.

She felt a moment of crippling relief that Stefan was also safe; her first instinct was to run into his arms and forget the world, to feel his embrace and know that everything was going to be alright. The need to be one with him again was so overpowering she slowed to a stop, her footsteps faltering until she was poised directly in between the two parties. She felt isolated, a feeling magnified by the knowledge that she was no longer telepathic, leaving her truly alone in her own head.

_Stefan?_ Looking into his emerald eyes, feeling a rush of longing, she attempted her old talent on their own personal mind link and confirmed her worst suspicions; she still could not broadcast. Frustrated, she first directed her feet towards Damon; to put it bluntly, she had to send him away, at least for now. She had all the time in the world to be with Damon at home; uninterrupted time with Stefan was a rarity now, something precious to be cherished, and she certainly couldn't do that while feeling Damon's gaze on her the whole time. Time seemed to slow as unbeknownst to her, every footstep was being watched from across the courtyard, carrying weight she did not intend them to have; each step was more than a step in the other direction, it was a step across a chasm, one Stefan could not cross and never would, upon which the other side was unreachable and undesirable to him. She did not see his movement completely cut off, did not see the mouth open with shock and denial, the eyes narrowing slightly in disbelief. She finally reached the table on which Damon relaxed, and shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand, let her hip support the other, giving him a look he read easily.

"How will you get home, then?" He inquired, sitting forward, elbows now supported squarely on his knees, head resting on interlocked fingers, with his neck tilted back to hold her eyes. "With no motorcycle, let alone someone to drive it?"

Elena knew these words would be taken wrong by the listening vampire from the other table and gave him an irritable exhale before scowling at him. Shaking her head slightly, she turned on her heel and began her long walk towards her friends. Her heart picked up the pace when she saw Stefan's green eyes glowing back at her, and walking faster towards the comfort of his arms, she felt anticipation and nervousness coiling inside her; this would be their first meeting since testifying in the Celestial Court. Taking a deep breath, she walked faster towards him...

When he got up and walked away.  
>She stopped dead at what she was seeing: Stefan's retreating back. She stood, disbelieving, as her love abandoned her, undiluted hurt and anger ripping through her. Why was he acting this way? Her mind was having difficulty comprehending this turn of events; Stefan leaving her? Never. Could he be Influenced? There was only one being who could achieve that...She could only guess at her expression as she came upon this realization, just saw the remaining members of the table starting towards her, worrying staining their features, and knew she wasn't ready to talk to them, to talk to anybody; she had to get away from this impossible situation, and she spun on her heel, tears threatening to make an appearance.<p>

She was scarcely aware of her feet swiftly carrying her in the opposite direction, back the way she had come; she was hardly conscious of her surroundings and more focused on fighting back tears of betrayal and rage, her brain in turmoil. How could the Guardians do this? She hadn't known that Stefan was here and certainly wasn't prepared for his reaction to her. She had planned their inevitable reunion to be somewhat more...private. Especially not with Damon just feet away, and not with Stefan so _Influenced_. The only thing keeping her from him, the only thing that ever could, was the Guardians. They were _this_ cruel? They would taunt her like this? She needed Stefan, he was a part of her. No one could replace that. But Damon...they had been through things too. She _couldn't_ let him die...despite what everyone thought, what Stefan thought, he didn't deserve that. The tears of anger morphed into something more devastating, more real, as she took full stock of her situation for the first time. _What was she going to do?_

Reaching the bathroom, she dissolved into confused sobs of pain and longing.

* * *

><p>As Elena thought he was Influenced, Stefan had never been more in his right mind. Seeing his brother eying her with such confidence, Stefan's protectiveness reared up. Locking eyes with her for a moment, he pondered the emotions playing across her beautiful face; longing, concentration, and finally frustration. Was Damon the root of this? He was always the problem, no matter the situation; Stefan cursed himself for being such a fool and thinking that Damon would actually change, even in his temporary death. He would not let his brother hurt her; he would not even let him <em>near<em> her: she was _his._ Nothing anybody could do would ever change that. These thoughts rushed through his head in a split second, practically a reflex, and he made a movement towards Elena, suddenly finding himself on his feet. He was hers, she was his, forever; that's all either of them wanted...at least, that's all that _he_ wanted.

And then she walked away from him, to his brother, _his brother._  
>He stopped dead. Remembering Elena's tearful display in the forest, as well as viewing her steps away from him, he slowly sat back down, unaware of Bonnie gasp at his retreat, nor the slow shaking of Meredith's head. Hearing his brother's words, he felt reality bubbling inside him, awareness reaching up to grasp at his heart in its steady poisonous grip – he was going to take her home? Had he taken her here too, then, on <em>his motorcycle?<em> – and when she started towards him he realized the prospect of facing her right now was too much, so he simply turned his back on the pain and walked away. It was only his pain, his...sorrow and betrayal...that kept him afloat in this new unfriendly, unfamiliar world, and he didn't know how he could keep from drowning.

* * *

><p>Thank God the bathroom was empty; sinking down on the floor by the sinks, she let herself go. Very rarely did Elena allow herself to truly cry, to lament for treasure lost, opportunities missed; to let herself truly let out her sorrow felt wrong somehow. Now with so many others suffering in the world, it only felt appropriate to deal with her problems, to be grateful she wasn't any worse off than she already was. And when she had Stefan, she had managed to do just that; with Stefan, she hadn't felt any need to cry, had never felt such...sorrow and betrayal.<br>That thought only helped to smash the carefully constructed barriers inside her and add more rivers of grief to the waterfall now pouring out of her. She pressed her closed eyes into the palms of her hands and reveled in the darkness there. Part of her mind wondered if this was how Damon had dealt with his long buried grief, burying it under years of being the "evil" one. She wished she could be like that; let go of her entire life, put the pain behind her and start a new reality, a reality of never being hurt again, never feeling. Anything – even a life of pure anger and revenge – would be better than this suffering. Was Damon like _this_ inside too...?  
>She felt herself breaking apart slowly, tortuously, wishing she could sink down into the cool darkness and never return. She felt herself growing slowly colder and was beginning to lose her senses when she felt a gentle touch on her hair, her neck...her face was tipping gently upwards as she heard Damon's voice murmuring soothing nothings into her ear, his velvet voice igniting a small feeling of warmth. It smoldered away the ice surrounding her heart, warming her from the inside out as the fingers gently stroking the contours of her face were pleasantly burning away the frost she felt encasing her body. Soon she could feel the sturdy arms wrapped around her, immediately making her think of Stefan. However this thought of him didn't stab quite so deep; she felt safe and at home in the containment of these strong arms, and never wanted to leave. Unconsciously she snuggled deeper into the embrace, her arms sliding inside the jacket of her savior and wrapping around him tightly. Gradually her tears slowed their descent down her cheeks and the uncontrollable sobs became sniffles as she slowly came back to herself. She now felt the lips that journeyed from her cheekbone to her jawline and back, the tongue making an appearance to softly lick her tears away, and she let the sensations take her away, filling her mind with their pleasantries almost as if she had been Influenced; however, this was just raw feeling flooding her senses now, sending sparks tingling alone the path that elusive tongue traced on her cheek. She vaguely realized she had been biting her bottom lip, exerting all her strength, and released it from her relentless teeth. She opened her eyes to see Damon slowly pulling back from her, with his own gaze fixed on her lips; she tasted blood. She simply looked at him as he remained inches away from her, now staring back into her eyes, deep blue on onyx black. For a long while that was the only thing keeping her there, his eyes, the only source of meaning she could find. Her lips parted slightly and she took a ragged breath, before closing her eyes and struggling to return some sense of calm to her body.<p>

Suddenly there was a babble of voices, loud and obnoxious. Eyes still tightly shut, almost afraid to open them, she felt Damon's head turning to stare at the unannounced intruders, whose voices cut off abruptly as they took in the sight in front of them; Elena's tear stained face, with her practically on Damon's lap as he held her close on the floor, her lips cherry red from the force she had been exerting on them and the blood still smeared there.

"Oh, my, gawd." Her eyes flew open as she recognized that voice, and managed to turn her head fast enough to see the back of Caroline Forbes, nearly running out of the bathroom to, knowing her, gossip about what she had just seen. The door swung shut behind her, the slam resounding with a sense of finality; the only sound left in the bathroom was a lingering echo of a secret uncovered.


	6. Reawaken Me

A long time had passed before Elena and Damon emerged from the bathroom; the campus was nearly deserted, only the truly devoted staying that late in the library, and stars were beginning to peek through the veil of fading sunlight in the sky above them. They slowly made their way toward the parking lot again, not surprised to find it nearly empty save for their motorcycle and a few other vehicles. Damon retrieved the helmet from where he had stashed it earlier and wordlessly secured it on Elena's head, making sure it fit properly before climbing onto the bike, followed closely by Elena. He was worried about her; he had never seen her come undone like that before, coming apart so much at the seams that he practically had to sew her back together again, stitch by stitch of her soul until she was close to human again. Now that she was close to normal again, she needed something to rekindle the fire inside her, he decided; flashing a devilish grin to no one in particular, he thought she was in for a...wild ride.

Elena leaned against him as he pulled out of the parking lot, letting him support her completely. Though she was better than she had been in the bathroom earlier, she was still nowhere near fully functional; Damon didn't even drift above forty-five miles per hour until he reached the freeway. Only ghosts would be out on the road now, due to their lateness, so Damon had no second thoughts about bringing his plan to fruition.

Nothing seemed to register with Elena however; she just stared into the wind whirling by, her right cheek kept warm by the heat of her vampire's back – ironic, a vampire providing her heat – and her left cheek left to freeze in the passing wind, eyes stinging in the cold. She had to admit, it felt good to finally feel something, even if it was just a cold face and wind-whipped eyes.

Damon made an adjustment and the bike responded under them as he revved the engine; soon they were flying down the freeway, nearly double the legal speed limit. Passing their off ramp, he gunned the engine and Elena took lifted her head from his back, feeling exhilaration beginning to build inside her as their speed began to register in her stomach. Her heart began to pound in earnest as, almost dream-like, she began to get lost in the increasing adrenaline; this was an all too natural influence, not a result of Power but of natural human instinct. She tightened one arm around Damon's midsection, slowly raising her other arm to unbuckle the helmet and slide it slowly off in one fluid movement. Her hair, released to the wind, streamed behind her like a golden banner, the helmet secured in her hand by a single strap. Feeling her move, Damon glanced back to check on her and grinned at her appearance, glad to have an affect on her, mouthing the words 'Hold on'.

She nodded, feeling her long hair ripple as she did so, and wrapped both arms securely around him, clutching the helmet to his stomach. She pressed herself closer to his solid form as he gunned the engine, trying not to concentrate on just how solid his abs were, lest she lose concentration and fall off the bike. He hit the brakes again, but this time she was prepared, her face already pressed against the cold leather on his back, unharmed despite the removal of her helmet. He tipped their weight to the left abruptly and Elena felt his stomach muscles contract violently with the effort, as she knew a dizzying moment of being nearly parallel to the ground before the world spun around them accompanied by the shriek of tires on asphalt and a strange sliding sensation; suddenly they were vertical once more and flying down the road again, Damon gunning the engine with a feral yell, hair flying back, teeth bared at the wind in a silent dare; everything was pure adrenaline, no time to think, just to cling to the granite form in front of her, eyes wide, throat burning from the air rushing to her lungs as her mouth hung half open with a silent shriek, of fear or excitement she didn't know. The man in front of her let our another fierce growl and she found herself smiling savagely in agreement; the rush of adrenaline had unleashed something strange, something primal in her, and she loved it.

The bike slowed as they neared the road to her home and she slowly came down from her high the adrenaline had given her; the rest of the ride passed in a blur as she slowly came back to herself for the second time that day. However, now it felt like there was a fierce fire residing in her, instead of ice water.

Belatedly, she realized, "Aunt Judith might not take too kindly to a motorcycle. Especially not with me riding it."

"That won't be a problem," he replied calmly as he pulled up in front of her house, cutting the engine off mid-growl and propping the bike on the tiny kickstand she hadn't noticed earlier. He seemed to be radiating a certain smugness, which didn't diminish even when her aunt came to investigate the noise.

"I thought I heard–"Aunt Judith stopped short a few paces from the house, taking in the sight of her daughter, holding a biker's helmet, complete with wind blown hair and rosy red cheeks, stepping off what she so kindly referred to as 'death machines'. "Elena, Damon...what is _that_?" Her tone could freeze an ocean as she spit those last three words.

Damon took a few steps closer to the irritated woman, bending a few inches to see eye to eye. "This is my motorcycle," he said carefully, his sharp gaze gaining strength with every word. "Isn't it great?"

The silence lingered a few moments longer than normal and Elena stared aghast as her Aunt suddenly broke Damon's gaze with a small shake of her head as if to clear it. Looking up, she replied, "Oh this is your motorcycle. It's great!". She turned and walked inside with a cheery smile, leaving stunned silence in her wake.

Immediately Elena turned on Damon, all fun forgotten. "Stop that! She's not your _puppet_!" She stalked away from him, towards the house. He didn't try to stop her, but she heard the wind carry his words to her:

"_Welcome home, Princess."_

She heard the motorcycle engine restart before flaring, then gradually fading. When she reached the front door she couldn't help herself; she turned slightly and her eyes confirmed, yes, he was gone.

A few minutes later she lay on her back in bed, having declined her Aunt's dinner invitation, with her hands under her head and knees bent, staring out her window and thinking. At this angle she could barely see the stars dotting the night sky, and seeing them made her remember her adventure from earlier that same day. She couldn't lie to herself, she had more than enjoyed the motorcycle ride with Damon. But that didn't make it okay for him to go parading around in other people's heads. _Welcome home, Princess_...if he still hadn't given up on his Princess of Darkness fantasy, he was either very devoted and hopeful or very stubborn and blind. _Or a little bit of both,_ her mind whispered.

She shook her head to clear it as she hastily put the thought out of her mind. Rolling to her side, she tucked her knees towards her chest, contemplating the situation of Bonnie and her latest infatuation. He wasn't exactly safe for her, what Elena herself had just been through was proof of that; she trusted Damon, despite everything, and knew Bonnie could take care of herself, but something nagged at her, making her deeply uneasy. How she wished she could confide in Stefan...Poor Stefan. She missed him so much it felt like she was carrying a lead weight inside her. How she longed to find him and take him in her arms, where he belonged, to forever kiss away the pain and worry of survival; but doing that might result in one, or even all of them, being vaporized on the spot by none other than those all powerful bastards that called themselves 'Guardians'.

She shoved herself out of bed in annoyance and walked to the window. Half of her hoped to see a brooding face with gorgeous green eyes, clear as water on an early spring day, complex as an icy pool in winter; the other half prayed for a shock of black hair, complete with vivid and startling black eyes as mysterious and ever changing as the flicker of candle light, yet as deep and searing as a graceful wildfire. Could two different loves coexist so completely, surviving together within one? Fire and water, both capable of destruction, yet both providers of life.

Fire was dangerous, full of potential life and destruction wrapped into one. Water was calm, yet also capable of drowning innocent life. Both were forces to be reckoned with...yet both could be tamed. This thought send a ripple of confidence through her: perhaps she wasn't simply lost, tug one way or another by the current, helplessly floating along? It was time to start making decisions for herself, and not taking no for an answer. Lifting her head higher and closing her eyes, she took a calming breath and focused on the question raging through her mind: what did she want? Right now, the one thing she wanted most was...

Eyes snapping open, she practically ran to her closet. She knew what she had to do; she needed her comfort, her love. Forcing her thoughts away from the darker of the two brothers, she made herself forget about the burning of desire, the way he had set her heart aflame, and concentrated on planning. She had to find her calming stream and raging rapids, all in one...Stefan. Throwing on a new jacket, eyes determined, she headed downstairs.

* * *

><p>"You can give me all my money back. And those gloves," Damon said softly, indicating the gloves the man was wearing. He simply nodded mutely, peeling off the leather biking gloves from his own fingers and placing them on the counter before writing a check and placing it next to the gloves.<p>

"I can give you all your money back. And these gloves," the clerk said with a slightly confused look on his face.

"What a surprise. You have a good day – well, night – now," Damon said sarcastically, plucking the check off the counter along with the gloves, sliding them on and enjoying the feel of the cool leather against his fingers. Oh, how he loved leather; it was such a bad ass material, the girls loved it, and even better, it was black.

Of course, now only one girl – well, two if he was honest with himself, but he rarely was – mattered to him now. And said girl was back at her house where he had left her, angry and moody. Walking out in the chilly night air, he let out a barely audible sigh. He rarely found girls difficult, but Elena was proving to challenge him in more ways than one. Despite her reaction to his Influence of her Aunt, he was glad to have his Princess back, fire intact inside her heart once more; he liked the thought that he himself had returned it there. Still, he wished he could have kept the motorbike...but sadly, his Princess was more important than a bike, regardless of how fast it went.

Tucking the check safely into his back pocket, he concentrated for a mere moment before he was borne into the air by the appearance of sudden ebony wings and feathers; oh, he was getting good at that. He blended in perfectly, a crow simply taking a nighttime fly. Skimming the forest treetops, he flew in the general direction of Elena's house, pleased with himself–

Anyone observing this particular crow at that moment would have wondered why it suddenly plummeted to the forest floor, as if torn from the sky by a lightning fast hand.

* * *

><p>Sneaking downstairs was easier than Elena had dreamed; everyone in her house slept soundly with their doors shut tight. She made it down the stairs, avoiding the one that creaked, then through the kitchen, making sure to grab the car keys lying on the table; finally she was easing the front door shut behind her and was soon enveloped completely in the cold night air. She headed to Robert's car, parked by the curb. If she had an accident this particular night, surviving the Shinichi attacks would have been a useless victory, because her uncle would <em>kill<em> her.

She drove slowly until she was positive she wouldn't wake her family up, then gunned the engine and sped toward the boarding house. Just as she was reaching the bridge, she was stunned as she felt, for the first time since her new life had begun, a telepathic broadcast. It was enough to completely distract her from her current mission for two reasons: It came from Damon, and he was consumed with anger and pain.

* * *

><p>Damon knew he was broadcasting the agony of his two broken wings along with his terrible rage, but wasn't aware just how many people were receiving it. It was more of a reflex, an instinctive challenge that only vampires – and in this case, Elena as well – could hear, knowing he wasn't beaten, that he was still a force to reckon with. A few feet above the forest floor, he focused every fiber of his mind on his change and healing, and landed almost cat-like on his own two feet, both arms intact. As soon as his feet hit the ground he rocketed up the closest tree, sprinting up the trunk at superhuman speed, dodging around thick branches and taking no notice of the small twigs tearing at his shirt.<p>

He reached the tallest height he could, using smaller branches to support his weight, his anger causing an unnatural stir in the wind. It began to howl around, causing his hair to whip wildly around his eyes as he bellowed into it, voice carefully controlled to reveal no more than unfathomable depths of hate.

"LITTLE BROTHER!"


	7. Unwritten Wishes

**Thank you for the reviews! I love them all :) A lot of people have been asking how often I will update: As quickly as I can. I am taking AP Language next year so I've been swamped by my summer project, and school starts in two weeks. That's gonna slow me down, but I'll get new chapters here up as fast as I can :) Thank you all for reading!**

Damon's yell echoed many miles away, and had Elena been outside she might have heard a faint resounding cry from the heavens, as if from an angel – or perhaps a demon – filled with hatred. As it was, Elena was speeding along the small, worn dirt path that twisted through the tall trees of the forest, branching out to other smaller dirt lanes, spreading in every direction like an unsolvable labyrinth.

She was following a vague sense of anger, a general direction of distress, that was building inside her with every passing mile as she grew closer to the heart of the forest. And though she didn't know it, she grew closer to her vampire brothers as well.

* * *

><p>A blur of motion in his right peripheral vision, step to the left; a streak coming down from above, let his momentum carry him into a forward roll. No resting, no thinking, just reacting and dodging. And occasionally throwing a punch or landing a solid kick. Grunts filled the air as the blur continued to attack and Damon continued his simple method of sidestepping and countering; he had assumed his attacker would eventually pick up on his strategy, but was being proved wrong with every passing moment.<p>

"You're going to have to do better than that, baby Stefan," he taunted. "It looks like someone hasn't been eating a balanced breakfast recently. No more bunnies?" The only response he received was an angry growl and a renewed flurry of attacks. "I recommend some Elena. Even with her reduced Power her blood still packs one hell of a punch–"

He was cut off when a fist connected squarely with his chin; the attacks abruptly stopped and Damon simply stood there, rubbing his aching jaw. "Ah, so finally he hits me," he jeered. "It took you long enough."

"Don't say a single word about her!" Stefan's voice seemed to resonate from everywhere at once. "Don't you dare–"

Before he could finish his sentence, Damon moved. In a flash of motion he was in a tree twenty feet above where he had been only seconds before, and he whirled and kicked out with his right foot, connecting directly with Stefan's shoulder blade. It had taken next to no Power to pinpoint Stefan's location and even less to lash out with his foot, sending him forcefully into the trunk of a large pine tree on the opposite side of the clearing, smashing a portion of the wood. Slowly raising his head Stefan stared up at his brother, now leaning against a tree nearby, watching him until he spoke softly. _How did he move so fast–?_

"Don't…fuck…with…me." Advancing step by step with each word he uttered, Damon cocked back his fist and sent it slamming into his brother's nose. Feeling the satisfying crunch as his closed hand met bone, he wiped his now bloody fingers on Stefan's jacket and stood, while the latter lay stunned on the ground, blood pouring from his nose.

In a rush of black feathers Damon was gone.

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><p>It was only a few minutes later when Elena stepped cautiously into the clearing. The strange feeling of anger had cut off only a short time ago and was now gone, but the hatred still remained. Was she feeling Stefan? She must be! He was the only one she was this in sync with… Her footsteps gathered urgency as she saw a fallen figure against a tree trunk, eyes closed with blood still running down his face, and he was unrecognizable in the darkness. Dropping to her knees beside him, she gasped as he opened his eyes and stared up at her.<p>

_His eyes were green_.

One instant he was on the ground, the next he was gathered in her arms with her tears splashing onto his face. "Stefan! I'm so sorry!" Sobs began to wrack her body as part of her mind watched in surprise; she wasn't one to cry so much.

Raising his hand he slowly brushed her tears away, offering his own strong comfort despite the physical pain he must be in. Unthinkingly Elena offered him her throat – the unmarked side – and he bit into her soft flesh, drinking greedily with a soft moan from the back of his throat.  
>"Heal, my love. Everything is going to be perfect now," she cooed as the familiar pleasure began pulsing under her skin. Damon had been right, her blood was still powerful despite what the Guardians had taken from her, and within a few minutes Stefan had stopped drinking and managed to push himself into a sitting position. With a sickening <em>crack<em> accompanied by a painful grimace, he repositioned his nose and leaned his back against the thick trunk of the tree behind him. For some reason, Elena noted, there seemed to be a dent in it; she made a mental note to find out just what the hell had happened to him. She brushed the hair out of her face and gazed at Stefan as he slowly cleaned himself up; gingerly he wiped his face with his shirt and dusted the dirt off his hands before meeting her gaze.

And then they were kissing, and for that moment in time, everything was okay.

Far above them hidden in the leaves, a lone crow evidently disagreed for it took flight with a rustle and gave a loud caw – unnoticed by the couple below – as it flapped away. It soared over the forest, the lights of town gradually growing brighter as it sped closer.

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><p>Damon scarcely noticed where he was going, instead letting his wings guide him as his mind was too full to process anything. That had been a sickening sight; what on earth did Elena see in his pathetic little brother? It obviously wasn't looks, but maybe she had a thing for vegetarians? If that was what she desired then he might as well give up now; there was no greater pleasure in the world than the taste of human blood, running down his throat in hot, glowing rivers…it was as close to heaven as he would ever get, and he knew it.<p>

His thoughts continued and it was only until he was perched in a tree outside her window did he realize he had flown to Bonnie's house. He peered into her bedroom and saw her there, still awake despite the time of night; she was lying on her stomach, clad in plaid pajama pants and a simple tank top, her ginger curls bouncing slightly as she turned a page in the book she was reading. Further investigation revealed that it was a beat up and broken copy of Romeo and Juliet that appeared to be several years old and preparing to fall apart. His intent gaze seemed to penetrate the thick glass window because she glanced up, eyes widening as she spotted the crow.

"…Damon?" she whispered, tossing her book aside and sliding from her bed, stepping hesitantly towards the window. "Is that you? I'm going to feel dumb if I'm just talking to a crow."

He cawed softly and hopped closer. _Tap, tap, tap... _His beak knocked against the glass gently until she pushed up the window and he fluttered into the warm exterior, careful to avoid crashing into anything, until he came to rest on the soft material of her bedspread. She slowly climbed onto her bed once more, folding her hands and using them as a headrest; he noticed she had left the window slightly ajar with just enough room for him to escape into the night again, unseen and undetected by the other members of her house.

"I prefer talking to humans," she hinted, and when she got no reply, she huffed and picked up her book again. "Well fine. You can just mind your own business while I continue reading then."

She attempted to ignore him and focus on her book once again, unsuccessfully. She kept shooting glances up at him that he wasn't meant to see, although she was being painfully obvious. She couldn't have read more than a few pages before she threw her book to the floor. "It's no use! I can't concentrate with you here watching me like this. What did you _want, _anyway?"

He still gave no discernible answer and simply watched her, his small eyes trained on hers. He supposed it must be strange for her to be conversing with a bird of all things, but he didn't really care. He was content to simply observe for tonight, to do anything as long as it took him far away from his _baby_ brother and…that girl.

After a few seconds Bonnie sighed, recapturing his attention, and as if guessing his desire to watch her, decided to foil him once more. Rearranging herself in bed, she reached up and flicked off the light, plunging the room into semi-darkness. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. Good_night, _Damon." Not bothering to bury herself under any blankets – her house really was quite warm – she remained silent until the sound of her soft snores and quiet breathing filled the air.

The crow turned and hopped off the edge of her bed, talons and feathers merging to form skin and clothes before Damon's booted feet soundlessly landed on the floor and he stood tall, watching her for a moment longer. Moving one of the pillows that weren't currently in use, he gently sat where it had previously been and leaned his back against the headboard, careful not to disturb the bed lest she wake up. He now took his time to survey her room properly. It was a million times better than the hotel he had left her in during their stay in the Dark Dimension; this room actually looked as if someone was living there, not to mention the fact that it had _personality_…he could get used to this room.

Bonnie suddenly let out a deep breath – almost a sigh – and rolled over on her back, one arm splayed on the bed beside her and her other hand resting directly on Damon's stomach. Feeling the warmth given off by Damon's body, she turned toward it, snuggling closer to him, one arm now completely draped over his midsection with her face delicately balancing on his hipbone as she entwined one of his legs between her thighs.

_Well, this was just perfect_, he thought sarcastically. So much for simply observing… He could almost feel her hot breath through the thick denim of his jeans, scalding his thigh. His mind immediately jumped – like any man's – to forbidden acts and a hunger much different than his craving for blood. Suppressing a groan, he set to work on freeing his legs before he did anything impulsive to his innocent redbird; finally, after much nudging, she rolled onto her back again, releasing his body from her sleeping clutches. Only seconds later, a crow emerged from her open window and took to the open sky with what some would describe as a sense of relief.

**Sorry for the relatively short chapter! Had to set the groundwork for the further chapters ;)  
><strong>


	8. Am I Stubborn or Strong?

**Here is the latest chapter! I am no bueno at writing angry Stefan. I'm sorry if it seemed OOC, I had fun putting my twist on Stefan while he is in a jealous rage. We got a glimpse at the more threatening side of him in the final book and I wanted to play it up. Copyright goes to L.J. Smith as usual, and please take time to R&R. The more reviews, the faster I update. Deal? Deal. Hope you like it :)**

* * *

><p>The night was so <em>cold<em>. She shivered again violently, chaffing her fingers against her arms, trying to eradicate the goose bumps now forming. Leaning against the cold wood of her front door, she was once again glad that she had a chosen to drive rather than walk to find Stefan. She frowned. He was taking quite a while… Glancing up, she wondered whether he had been successful in sneaking inside, regardless of the fact that the back door was locked. Once against dragging out her key ring with numb fingers, she began searching for her house key only to come up empty handed. Where was her key? Cursing under her breath, she resigned herself to a long wait in the frigid air. She must have been out here for nearly twenty minutes now; the night sky was ever so slightly lightening as dawn chased the darkness away. What time was it? It must have been nearly three hours since she had first discovered Stefan, Elena mused; they had driven slowly home, after spending much time, ah, _greeting_ each other in the forest. She doubted–

"Elena." The hushed whisper made her jump violently and she whirled around, searching for its source. "Elena, up here," Stefan's voice seemed to emanate from nowhere. She looked up, searching the darkness until she saw the emerald gleam of his eyes against the backdrop of inky night sky. As her own eyes adjusted she could make out his vague figure peering from her bedroom window.

"Where's your spare house key so I can come down and let you in? The door is still locked," he whispered. If the door was still locked then how did he get in? Oh right – vampire. Racking her brain she mentally retraced her steps of that previous morning, knowing she had seen it before leaving for school. She had set it on the dresser, brought it to the kitchen, handed it to Damon…oh.

"Uh, in Damon's pocket," she sighed, frustrated. Her words were met by a moment of strained silence.

"Oh." Stefan's voice was oddly flat. "Here then." With a movement so quick she barely registered it, he dropped lightly from her window and landed cat-like in front of her. She only had time to blink at him in surprise before he had scooped her up and they were in the air. After a startling moment of free fall and she suddenly found herself lying haphazardly on her bed, with her heart pounding and her eyes round with shock, watching Stefan settling himself on the window seat a few feet away. Reaching up with quivering fingers, she bathed her room in the soft glow from her bedside lamp. He gazed at her with sharp eyes, but she refused to break the gaze, and the silence stretched between them.

"He fed on you?" When he finally spoke his voice was quiet and controlled, although she sensed the pain hidden behind the words. Her anger flared for a moment at the insinuation in his tone, his immediate assumption at her infidelity, his true accusation still unnamed.

She cleared her throat; opting to leave out her near death experience, she began to explain. "He was so weak, he could hardly stomach the sunlight even with his ring on. At first I didn't realize it was lack of blood, but once I did, was I just supposed to watch him suffer–?"

He overrode her, anger now showing through the cracks in his calm façade. "There is blood other than human. He could have fed on any number of animals, as I did!" He began pacing irritably at the foot of her bed and she watched him, wary of his anger. The silence stretched for a few moments before he continued in a steely voice. "You felt powerless against him, as if you couldn't resist, didn't you?" When she remained quiet, he continued roughly. "He Influenced you, that's the only explanation."

"What? No! Stefan, he can't, remember?"

He shot her a dark look. "The mere fact that you _know_ this says that he is cruel enough to even try. And we just witnessed a vampire come back from true death. Nothing is impossible, not anymore." Silence resumed as Elena digested this. He was right. She had never heard of – much less seen – a human or vampire return from the dead. Of course, vampires were already dead, but they weren't immortal. She was in this mess because of that simple fact. As if following her thoughts, Stefan went on, "What exactly did you say to them? No, what did you _give them?"_ His eyes narrowed. "The Guardians would never do this all for charity. Put us here, with _him_ intact? You made a bargain, one not in your favor."

Elena's heart sank; she knew they would have to have this conversation – and soon – but hadn't expected it to take place with tensions so high. Her mind raced through possible things she could tell him. She even considered telling him the truth, as she so desperately wanted to; she longed to confide in him as she had so many times before, however his attitude still worried her. He had made up his mind to hate his brother, and with a dreadful realization Elena knew he would never understand this part of her. He couldn't; he had never understood her love for Damon, had never grasped the concept that she could be in love with two souls so deeply that it felt as if she was being torn literally in half. The source of that feeling was Stefan's lack of empathy and compassion. While he hated Damon, he unknowingly abused half of Elena's heart as well. Damon understood; he had grown past seeing Stefan as simply his brother, a rival. He saw him as a man that Elena cared for deeply, and accepted that in ways Stefan wasn't capable of. In that moment, she knew that as long as Stefan continued his way of thinking, she could never be truly happy with him. Battered by his anger and weakened by his unwavering gaze, she wearily sank back and let the mattress support her without answering.

"I will find out, Elena," he promised threateningly. "And as for my bastard brother – I thought he might have changed, I truly wanted to believe it," he paused in front of her, eyes downcast, face in shadow as she raised her head to watch him warily. "But I know now that was all an act. You mean nothing to him. Don't you understand that?" His voice rose to a shout. "How could you care for something like _him?_ All he wants is your blood!"

"He had just _died_, Stefan!" she cried, not caring now about her slumbering family in the rooms nearby, angered and hurt at his lack of understanding and compassion. She nearly leapt from the bed but somehow managed to restrain herself; this wasn't like Stefan. He was still obviously shaken; could it be from her tearful display at Damon's death? Well, she wasn't going to apologize over her tears. When someone died she was entitled to a reaction goddammit! She was beyond fed up with this apathy towards his own brother. They were flesh and blood for God's sake! She knew Damon cared for his brother in his own way, and she had thought the same of Stefan. Why was he being so heartless now?

"Do you know what he did to me? _He attacked me today._" This brought her up short, and she froze with her jaw half open, gazing at him as if she couldn't comprehend his last words. He shortened the distance between them, his hands in tight fists at his sides. His words fell like knives against her ears. "Taunting me with your blood, and the Power it gave him," he continued despite the look on her face. "He said he was just using you. He told me that himself."

"No…he wouldn't do that," Her now soft voice permeated the space between them as his previous words embedded themselves in her brain. _He taunted me with your blood_. She trusted Stefan, and honestly believed he wouldn't knowingly pin something like this on Damon; even enraged, as he was now, the Stefan she knew wouldn't lie to her. Her thoughts drifted back over her time with the Salvatore brothers, and she recalled the past time Stefan had accused his brother of a similar crime. They had all believed him without question, yet it had in fact been Katherine that had pounced on the unaware Stefan. Damon's long ago words returned to her. "_Throw him in a well? Hardly my style." _Attacking Stefan in the middle of the woods? Possibly; taunting his brother in his moment of weakness? Probably; manipulating a woman, after giving her his word? Not Damon. Her voice grew in conviction and with it came a sense of relief. "He wouldn't do that."

"This is his fault," he insisted; for a moment Elena was reminded of a stubborn young child. He read the relief and skepticism on her face and his tone grew scornful and cold. "You don't believe me. Of course you don't."

"What does that mean?" Elena's anger flared once more as she heard the assumptions again written in Stefan's voice. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to push herself off the bed and advance toward him; she contented herself with a glare that, by all rights, should have chilled the room by a few degrees. "You know he promised –"

"After all you've witnessed, you still cling to the illusion of his humanity." Pity crept into his voice now, weaved between the strands of simmering anger and betrayal layering his tone. Kneeling before her, he attempted to peer into her eyes. "You've been Influenced."

"You know he can't do that!" Her impatience at this repeated argument won over her restraint and she reached for him, gripping his shoulder tightly. "You'd feel it if I wasn't myself. Please, Stefan, see past your feelings. See the truth!" Her eyes never left his, and her heart sank as she read the mistrust and sadness there.

"I know you love him." His voice was empty as he stood again, shaking off her hand and towering above her as he stared into the shadowed corners of her bedroom. "Just tell me, are you…happier with him?"

Elena's only response was the slow movement of her head as she raised it to gaze at him, anger draining out of her as she was taken completely off guard. "I…" she trailed off, lips parting slightly as she wet them with her tongue before swallowing and staring just as intently in the general direction of nothing. Her mouth opened once again…and closed without breaking the suffocating blanket of silence that had descended upon them. She stared at her shaking hands in her lap, her throat thick with reassurances that something inside her would not allow her to utter; the premature moisture of tears sprang to her eyes and she screwed them shut, swallowing hard once more. She forced composure upon her herself and opened her mouth, unsure of exactly how she was going to respond. "Stefan, I –" A resounding snarl interrupted her uncertain words and the room was suddenly thrown into pitch blackness.

In the next few moments, Elena only registered a few disjointed details. Breath lingering against the sensitive skin of her ear; the hushed murmur of warning before a light suddenly illuminating the hallway, spilling tendrils of light beneath her door; that voice reminding her, somehow, of a guardian angel… That voice sparked warmth and comfort inside her, something in its complexion offering protection, and her body hastened to obey even as her mind was preoccupied wondering who had whispered to her – the voice was quite familiar. She scrambled up her bed, tossing pillows everywhere and even as she heard the door handle beginning to turn, she buried herself deep beneath her sheets; she rolled to her side and feigned the even breathing of someone deep asleep. Light was cast over her closed lids and she forced herself to relax until the slight _click_ of the door shutting told her it was once again safe for her to move.

In a burst of motion she was shaking the hair from her eyes and stumbling through the sea of pillows littering her floor, finally reaching her window. A cold breeze struck her face as she stared at the now open window. Creeping forward, she leaned her torso outside, hunting the ground below for a vampire in hiding. Finding none, she resorted to whispering uncertainly into the shadows.

"Stefan?" Receiving no reply, she gave a barely audible sigh and was reaching up to ease her window closed when subtle movement in the tree branches caught her eye. She froze, staring through the predawn darkness into the eyes of the solitary crow perched there; its glittering eyes seemed to gauge her expression before they melted away into the shadows of the branches.

"Damon?" The frigid air offered no reply as it continued numbing her exposed fingers and face. After a few moments, irritation washed over her again. "Well fine, if you won't come in now don't expect me to freeze the rest of the night," she said frostily as she slid the window shut with a satisfying slam. Approaching footsteps forced her to dive between her sheets once again, pretending to sleep for the second time that night.

Unnoticed by Elena, a man now lounged in the treetops in the precise spot a crow had perched for the last hour; he seemed unaffected by the cold. There was an unreadable expression on his face as he drifted through his thoughts, his black eyes having witnessed every word spoken by the couple in the bedroom.


	9. Coming Together

**You can thank DeathKitsune of Death** **for the added spice in today's chapter, because she asked so nicely, hah. I literally stayed up all night to write this, as it is now 6:30 AM. Just for you...which means...that you should R&R! :D copyright L.J. Smith...I just take her characters and make them do things we all want them to. ;) Enjoy!**

"So what was so important that I just _had_ to come without Bonnie?" Meredith arched one tapered brow and leveled a questioning glance his way before taking a seat at the table. Her ebony hair blew slightly in the breeze from the open window, dancing around her chin; after her hair caught fire while rescuing Isobel a haircut had been desperately needed and the new shorter length suited her nicely. Stefan continued his agitated pacing around the boarding house kitchen, careful to avoid stepping in the small bowls of cat food that littered the floor. Opening the antique fridge, he offered Meredith a drink which she graciously declined. He forced himself to take a seat beside her, although he couldn't prevent his foot from tapping a restless beat against the floor. "Stefan, I may be a vampire hunter," she said quietly. "But I'm also your friend. Besides," she said lightly, "_I _might not have any classes today, but I'm sure you do."

"I'm skipping. This is much more important." He said distractedly. _Tap, tap, tap._ His foot continued its rhythm as he gazed around restlessly.

"Like I said, I'm your friend. Considering you're a vampire, that says something. Now tell me, what on earth is bothering you?" After a brief minute of silence, punctuated only by the tapping of his foot, Stefan began to speak.

"Let me start from the beginning. Damon died," he said bluntly. "After being staked through the heart. And now he is alive again. This happened while you and Matt were fighting in Fell's Church." _Tap, tap, tap._ "Elena was…beside herself," he swallowed before continuing. "Sage took us to the Celestial Court, run by all-powerful beings called the Guardians, who caused all this. I left you – and Matt – without an explanation as to why everything happened as it did. Why we all woke up back here, with a college schedule in our pockets and a new life. This is all due to Elena's demand. She bargained with the Guardians, and this is the result; it is her utmost desire," he paused, letting Meredith digest the information he was telling her. "Before we returned here, the Guardians spoke privately to Elena and suddenly we all awaken in Fell's Church. What we discover the next day – Damon is _alive_."

A look of horror was growing slowly on Meredith's face when he finished. He kept silent again, allowing her to voice her thoughts. "These...Guardians…they can control life itself? Bring a _vampire_ back from true death?" She sagged as if the mere knowledge of the existence of such vastly powerful creatures weighed heavily on her mind. "And they did it for her? She actually bargained –?" She broke off incredulously; Stefan's expression was easy to read. "No! What an idiot!" Her first resounded with a sense of frustration as it crashed to the table. Even Stefan was surprised to see her lose her everlasting composure like this; once again he was glad he had neglected to mention this meeting to Bonnie. He watched the hunter across from him slowly regaining control until she continued softly, "She can't see the bigger picture past her own emotions. Oh god," she breathed softly, "what did she give them?"

"She wouldn't tell me," he answered ruefully. Meredith expected him to elaborate but when he did not, she prodded him slightly.

"You spoke to her? What did she say?"

"I asked her what exactly happened, and she refused to tell me." He went on spitefully. "And she let Damon _feed_ on her." Meredith just stared at him.

"Stefan…do you know exactly what happened down in the Dark Dimension, between Elena and Damon? When we were rescuing you?" she asked hesitantly, eyes gauging his reaction.

"She told me about how she went to a dance with him…and that he saved her from being whipped," he fell silent, thinking about how much she had gone through to find him. Meredith left him a few minutes for his thoughts, and then continued.

"I don't want to hurt you," she said softly, "and I don't know if it's my place to tell you, but in the wake of everything that happened, you need to know." She took a deep breath before beginning. "They were inseparable, practically spending every minute with each other. He drank from her…multiple times. There was a time when Bonnie and I wondered what was truly happening behind closed doors." She soldiered on grimly, despite the mad gleam now present in Stefan's eye. "Sometimes it seemed like they were fighting, but they would always come back to each other. Bonnie and I weren't with them at the beginning… Elena spent over a week alone with him. No one except them knows what really happened." After seeing his expression, she asked softly, "She never told you this?"

"No…she didn't." Stefan sat in stunned silence for a long time, trying to absorb everything Meredith was telling him. Did Elena still feel the same way about him? She couldn't, she loved Damon; there was no other explanation...everything she had done in the Dark Dimension, had been for his brother. She _had _risked everything coming down there to make her dramatic rescue, however all the while she had been spending every minute – more like every second, he thought bitterly – with his brother. His own fucking brother; after everything he had warned her about, everything he had trusted her with, she had gone running to him...she was just like Katherine. He felt rage and betrayal building inside him, emotions he had fooled himself into thinking were unjustified; as long as he had been with Elena, she had been with Damon as well. It didn't get any fucking simpler.

Meredith seemed to sense the negative direction his thoughts were carrying him and hastily intervened before he accidentally broke something…like the entire kitchen. "Stefan, what are you going to do?" she asked carefully. This anger wasn't like him; it was as if something inside him had been unleashed, something deep and long repressed, and she didn't know what he was capable of anymore.

"I am going to embrace myself. He had it right all this time," he said to himself more than Meredith. "No more playing by the rules. I'm tired of being lied to. I've put up with it for too long and I want the truth." Conviction rang in his voice as he stood up and began climbing the stairs, motioning her to follow him. Intrigued, she did; her footsteps blended with his as they began climbing the rickety staircase to his bedroom.

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><p>What was hotter than the sun itself and enough to make even the devil himself sweat? Damon's smirk. Of course, despite the fact Elena had experienced said smirk on a nearly daily basis, it was still enough to make her heart stop and her panties wet – although she'd never let him know that. Hell, even his eyes were enough to get the blood pumping through her body; piercing blue, and always digging into the very fabric of her soul, she could get lost in them if she wasn't careful. She lay in the darkness of her bedroom, feeling her satin sheets on her bare body, contemplating his eyes. They fascinated her, scared her, and compelled her, glowing with energy unlike anything she had seen before.<p>

From out of the darkness she felt warm fingers trailing over the smooth skin of her stomach, breaking her train of thought. Instead of being scared, she simply rolled over to face her unknown bed mate with curiosity, smiling as her gaze met the eyes she loved so much. Such a precise shade of blue…

Damon smiled with predatory hunger as he moved above her, lips already brushing the hollow of her throat. She allowed herself to melt into his embrace as he rolled himself fully on top of her, planting light kisses along her jawline; she felt a delicious tightening in her chest as she suddenly became aware that he was naked as well. Trapped under his muscular form, she felt every inch of him against her and couldn't help but notice just how _hard _his body was…

A sudden breathy moan was pulled from her throat as he began sucking gently at her sensitive collar bone, his lips becoming more forceful when she tangled her hands in his hair, clutching him closer. His hands began their own journey, sliding slowly up her stomach before reaching the gentle swell of her breasts. Rolling one raised peak between his fingers was enough to make her arch against him, the friction causing pleasure to course through his body; she felt him growing hard against her stomach and had to suppress another moan. He took advantage of this and with a wicked grin, began sensually grinding against her, relishing her every expression while feeling her breathing grow more labored with every movement of his body. Lightly he licked the rim of her ear, before biting down sharply on her earlobe, causing her to cry out in surprise and pain. "Give into me," he whispered seductively, before descending to graze his teeth over an erect nipple, savoring the groan it elicited from the woman below him. Teasingly, he continued to torment her with his tongue and teeth until she was writhing below him; the expressions of pure arousal crossing Elena's face made his manhood throb painfully between them and he groaned in appreciation as he felt her hand snaking down his body, making its slow progress down, down…

She wrapped a hand around his aching organ and began a rhythmic stroking, much to his delight. As one of his hands continued to fondle her chest, the other slipped past her stomach, and he deliberately slid a finger into her wet center. Her hips bucking against his hand, she began to moan uncontrollably until he silenced her with his lips; his tongue delved deep into her mouth with sensual licks until he sank his teeth into her lower lip, lapping up the blood that flowed. The combination of sharp pain and sweet temptation drove her one step closer to that precipice of pleasure as her entire body jerked beneath him; he pulled away to breathe "Give into me," once more before sucking forcefully on her lower lip. His seductive words were enough to embolden her, and she brought both of her hands up to his muscular chest, flipping them over so she was on top. With her legs around his waist as they were, it took nearly no effort to rub herself along his length, coating him in her arousal, and watch in complete desire as the unshakable Damon Salvatore gave into the overwhelming pleasure that only _she_ was providing him. It was exciting, it was empowering, and it was _really fucking hot._

He seized her hips and pressed their bodies even closer, every inch of movement adding to the enticing friction; his fingers began massaging her clit, adding to the torturous pleasure coursing through her as she neared her release, and she gasped as she felt the head of his cock pressing insistently against her opening. Their lips meeting in a bruising kiss, she felt him beginning to push farther–

"Elena!" She jerked upright in bed, sweat drenching her entire body, an uncomfortable ache in her groin as her heart thundered in her chest. "I'm leaving now!" Her heart gradually slowed as she gazed around her in confusion, lost for a few moments in the sudden awakening. Sinking back to her pillow, she tried in vain to slow her harsh breathing and her pounding heart, shielding her eyes from the bright glare of the mid morning sun; she lay there for a long time, in the end succeeding to block out the sun, but not the details of the dream still swimming vividly in her head.

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><p>"So he attacked you," Meredith repeated slowly. "Unprovoked?"<p>

Stefan glowered at her. "I suppose my existence is provocation enough," he said harshly. "Elena found me bloody in the woods. When I told her what happened, she didn't care. She just launched her defense about how he 'would never do that'. Like she knows what he's capable of!" He ground his teeth as the memory of her words threatened to enrage him once more. "And she'd say nothing about what happened in the Court."

"She must be threatened or Influenced in some way," Meredith's logic helped calm the furious vampire in front of her, and she watched him contemplate the thought.

"Or she's just a lying bitch," he suggested bitterly.

"Well, seeing as she isn't telling even Bonnie and me the truth, I'd say it's my suggestion. She would _never_ lie to us about something this big." Meredith said simply, remembering the Velociraptor Sisterhood that bound the three of them. Stefan looked skeptical but she cut him off before he could speak. "It's a girl thing." He deliberated for a few moments before finally nodding and accepting her assurance.

"Research is our only option," he said finally. "We know practically nothing about these Guardians. They said they had been watching Elena since childhood. What about Elena could possibly have attracted their attention?"

"And we need to find out what Damon really wants from her," Meredith added thoughtfully. "You don't need to convince me he is incapable of love – I already know that." Stefan nodded in satisfaction, rose from his bed where the two had been sitting, and walked to his window. The sun's rays shone through the glass, and left him wondering: was there anything on this earth that was truly his? The sunlight was a malicious pretender, yes; the mischievous warmth on his skin, the lying instinct of sustenance from its enduring light. Elena had been his sun, carrying warmth while illuminating his entire being, yet now he saw the false claims and empty promises of the two. But according to Meredith, she wasn't at fault.

Despite what would surely be hours of tedious research ahead of them, Stefan was more focused on his thoughts. He trusted Meredith, and valued her opinion more than any other mortal; she was a trained vampire hunter, and would be useful in a fight against Damon. Unseen by the woman on the bed, a cruel smile slowly settled on his face. One way or another, they would save Elena from her Influence; he was sure of that. They would find a way…_he _would find a way…no matter what the cost.

_Yes, this chapter really doesn't **go** anywhere...but it has fluffy goodness! And sets the grounds for Stefan's plotting (cue evil laugh). What happens next? Stay tuned,..._


	10. Nobody Knows

**It's finally here! ! ! I am SO proud of myself for staying up until 2 AM to get this bitch written! Woohoo! :D I'm going to tell you now, there is no smut this chapter *dodges pineapples and hand grenades* but don't hurt me! I figured, if I was going to add smut it would be better to be well-written and HAWT rather than tacked on somewhere in this chapter. I tried to make it super duper long for you guys, as an I'm Sorry! about the lateness. R&R as always and I'll try to get working on the next one. Smut coming soon, I SWEAR ;) (c) L.J. Smith, of course :3 The title was inspired by the song God Put A Smile Upon Your Face by Coldplay, because that's one of many songs that I listened to when writing this chapter. You should check it out! Enough of this huge intro, ENJOY!  
><strong>

Bonnie bent her head over her laptop and sighed. She was never going to finish this report… Her morning off, and she was back on campus studying again. College life was so _hard._ Sometimes she wished Elena's demand hadn't placed her in all these challenging classes – although she did have to admit it was better than having to drop out of high school. She yawned widely before leaning over her laptop again, he red curls swinging slightly as she did so. If only she could enlist a tutor for her classes; perhaps Damon? Not that she wanted him to help her with _school work…_ once again she became distracted by the rather impure thoughts prancing through her mind for the third time in just that morning…No! Not again, she had to focus! Frowning, she groped under the table and into her backpack, retrieving a small book and leafing through the pages, trying to distract herself before she wound up going completely insane with desire.

"Hello, little one." The whisper voice was inches from her ear and she started violently; the book slid off the table as she twisted wildly to find herself face-to-face with the object of her recent thoughts. Damon seemed amused by the startled girl in front of him, the look of fear on her face quickly transforming to embarrassment as she went to reach to pick up her fallen book. He beat her there, and the book was sitting on the table before she could even finish leaning forward. She just blinked up at him in surprise before her throat could conjure any words.

"Well, thanks," she murmured as she stared up into his dark eyes. _He is so mesmerizing_, she thought. It was as though just his look was powerful enough to bewitch her mind and his voice enough to enthrall her heart… _Careful,_ a voice inside her warned, _He's dangerous. _But he had done so much for her, and she hadn't imagined the connection between them in the Dark Dimension. _So shut up. _Oh god, she was having conversations with herself now…something was seriously wrong with her. She forced herself back into the real world, to find Damon staring at her expectantly, a slight smile gracing his lips. Her heart thumped a quicker pace, and by the smirk on his face, she knew that he heard it and mentally cursed his stupid vampire hearing. "Um, what?" she asked guiltily.

"Feeling a bit distracted today?" His voice held a darker quality than it usually did, and she sensed an undercurrent of aggravation in his tone.

"You tend to do that to me," she admitted truthfully, distracted by his brooding gaze. His eyebrow arched and she blushed as she realized what she had just told him. "I mean, sneaking up on me like that," she clarified, trying to regain some of her dignity. He wasn't fooled. Choosing to ignore the entertained look in his eyes, she turned her back on him and attempted to continue her homework. Leaning forward, he watched her work for a few moments, until she grew uncomfortable under his intent stare. "Do you mind?" she asked, perturbed.

"If I make you _that_ uneasy, I suppose I'll just go my separate way then…" he made a motion to stand, before her hand came to rest on the arm of his smooth leather jacket. Glancing down at it, he smirked before sinking back to his seat. "That's what I thought." His cocky gaze only heightened her discomfort as she felt the ache of arousal beginning to creep into the pit of her stomach again; God, those eyes were so sexy! _And his body, _her mind agreed, _is just as…tantalizing. _She couldn't stop her eyes from tracing the contours of his shoulders under the supple material. Sudden realizing just exactly how obvious she was, she jerked her wide eyes upwards only to find him opening grinning at her, amusement now written on his features. Well at least she had cheered him up, she supposed. "Is this innocent little girl finally growing up?" No trace of the shadow she had heard before remained in his tone and she felt a self-conscious smile spreading across her face.

Laughing slightly, she said "Well, at least I stopped you from leaving didn't I?"

He finally showed her a genuine smile, tracing a finger along her jawbone before sweeping a feather light touch across her lips, his fingertip lingering there as he stood. "Little bird, you couldn't stop me if you tried." With that, he made his way out of the library, leaving Bonnie staring after him, filled with a bit of surprise – and something else just as real.

* * *

><p>Elena lay awake long after her house had been deserted by the rest of her family. Trying to control her racing heart, she had managed to calm her erratic breathing but still could not stop the parade of images from running through her head: Damon, with her here, in her bed…<em>within<em> her…she stared at the ceiling. There was only one man she had felt this same passion with, the same stirring of desire. But now this man wasn't here; after everything she had gone through for him, where was he? Not with her, not even in her dreams. She felt the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, and hastily wiped them away before they could fall. This wasn't how it should be; nobody was happy. That's all she had wanted in the celestial court, happiness, for herself and everyone around her. _And Damon_, a cruel voice inside her whispered. _You wanted him too_. But for her selfish, unsatisfied heart, Damon and happiness were one and the same; this simple fact is what had erased all happiness from her world in the first place. In loving two men, equally and unequivocally, she had succeeded in hurting them all and pushing everyone away from her. Meredith and bonnie hadn't talked to her since their return to this warped fell's church, And even now, in the depths of confusion, Elena knew it would never be the same. This life…it was a twisted version of the true fell's church, far from the natural future that was destined for them all. Yet now because of her, none of them would ever know that future. Because of her, this was their only reality.

Her body was encased in lead. It was dragging her down, through the bed, through the earth, trapping her in a realm of suffering. Bonnie and Meredith…even Matt…Damon…Stefan_. I never meant to do this to you, _their accusatory stares, eyes overflowing with blame, contempt dripping from their faces... _I am so sorry, I never meant it to happen this way, please forgive me, _the same old lines, over rehearsed and underperformed_. How to make it right?_ Alone with her hatred directed at no one but herself, she lay motionless, knowing only the chaos in her heart.

A long time later, she remembered something else. She roused herself enough to walk to her closet. Each step she took seemed to take an infinite effort, a thousand years of struggle to gain every inch; her feet dragged. Her mind was full of Novocain, whimsically watching as she slid open her closet door. Resting just feet away was her backpack, still safely where she had left it days ago. Kneeling required a great effort so she simply surrendered her battle with gravity and let it carry her gently to the floor with a crash. Slowly, the zipper slid open, the only noise in the room its protesting _zip. _With the backpack open, it was only a few seconds before the bottle of what appeared to be normal water was in her hands, and she scrutinized it fully for the first time since stealing it from the celestial she opened this, she would not be condemning others, merely herself; after everything she had inflicted on everyone else, it seemed only fitting. Slowly unscrewing the bottle, she was overcome with the sudden smell of…indescribable essence. The soul of everything rested in this bottle, the core of beings and the world – life.

It occurred to her that she was powerful. She may not have her old telepathy and Wings, but with this…she had essence. But nobody deserved this power, this absolute gift of the highest honor, the overwhelming decision of life…it was unthinkable. She was overcome with a strange urge to hurl the bottle away from her, to hear the satisfying _shatter_ as its contents splashed to the floor. Restraining herself for the time being, she carefully replaced the lid and nestled it back in the backpack, now its unofficial home. Returning to her bed, she drew her legs to her chest and sat, for what seemed like the tenth time that week alone, contemplating just exactly she was supposed to do.

* * *

><p>"Stefan," Meredith's sharp tone made him look up at her, but slowly. His focus was non-existent today, and he even had trouble concentrating on her words as she spoke urgently. He mentally kicked himself and listened harder to her voice. "-think I've found something. It's a summoning spell, and supposedly it can reach across <em>dimensions<em>. This is exactly what we need," she finished smugly. She marked the page in the book she had open in her lap and then closed it, adding it to the slowly growing pile on the table in front of them. The sun was rising ever higher in the sky as they sat in the small kitchen, the creaking of the boarding house surrounding them. For hours they had poured through the books that Sage had not bothered to bring with him when he had made his sudden departure.

"But will it work?" he remained skeptical. "We tried that other one you came across, and nothing. Either these are some shitty spells, or Sage just isn't in the mood to talk to us."

"Well, he better get in the mood," growled Meredith, but even she knew it was futile. No one, except the Guardians, could make Sage do _anything_ that he didn't feel like doing. They had a very…mysterious friend. He always seemed to be gone the moment he wasn't needed, disappearing when nobody was watching; always shrouding himself in the shadows, but claiming to be working for the "light"…_although_, Stefan thought wryly_, I wouldn't call the Guardians the light side._ They may claim to be helpful protectors, but their actions completely contradicted their words. The only thing they were was a bunch of hypocrites…with unnatural amounts of Power.  
>Power that could end them all in a millisecond.<p>

Meredith noticed his preoccupation and misinterpreted it. "I'm not blind, you know." She swept her hand broadly, gesturing to him. "Something else happened yesterday, now tell me," she said simply. She saw his hesitation and pressed further. "If I'm going to help you with this – and never mind if I agree with your goals – you're asking a lot, so you better be truthful with me."

Still he was silent. He couldn't tell her the truth, despite the fact that she was helping him with his plan; oh, he was grateful, a thousand times over. But he could never tell her the truth: how he had attacked Damon, and then how, pathetically, he had gotten his ass beaten – something that seemed to follow him throughout the centuries, if his fucking brother was involved… No. He wasn't related to that _demon_ anymore. But, he reasoned with himself, it was okay for him to tell a little white lie…because Elena was Influenced. He had promised himself he would do anything to get her back, and that even included lying to the one person loyal enough to stand by him now.

"If you must know," he began, "Elena and I returned to her house after I – was attacked. I questioned her there, as I said before, and I asked her if she was happier with him." He voice betrayed no emotion, Meredith noted, impressed at his composure. "She never gave me an answer. And then _he_ was there. In a split second everything was dark and then he threw me out – literally. Her aunt had been awakened by our shouting–"

"You two were _shouting_ at each other?"

"It was a rather, uh, heated conversation," he said dryly, before continuing. "By the time her aunt had returned to bed and it was safe for me to come out of hiding, I couldn't detect Damon's aura anywhere near the house." Ah, his voice betrayed him at the end, revealing his bitterness.

"He could have been there," Meredith pointed out. "He fed on Elena. Even reduced, her blood must still be remarkably Powerful. He could have been hiding behind his Power, like the coward he is."

"Yes, but I realized that attacking him directly–" _again, _his mind pointed out, "would get me nowhere. I realized," he met her eyes now, "that I needed you to help me. Only together can we accomplish this."

She watched him a second longer, evaluating the truth of his words, finally accepting them and standing. "Well, we have a summoning spell to try."

* * *

><p>Thank god she had a good memory. She stood outside Damon's Italian class, glancing around her nonchalantly. She had only gotten a single glance at his schedule yet had somehow remembered the majority of his classes. After a morning of deliberation, she had finally decided on seeking out Damon rather than Stefan; at least he wasn't mad at her. Stefan just needed time to cool down… she frowned. How was she going to sort out this mess…? And where was Damon? As she had belatedly realized earlier, he hadn't come home since their fight, although she was fairly certain that he had been her mysterious guardian angel the night before. Well, only one way to find out, but he had again pulled a disappearing act, this time from his own classroom apparently. He had to come out soon; his class had been dismissed nearly ten minutes ago. A few minutes later her impatience won and she stepped closer to the door, peering inside.<p>

It was completely empty.

She stepped hesitantly inside, as if expecting Damon to be lounging in a shadowed corner, waiting to surprise her. "Hello?" she called quietly. Her only answer was the soft drifting of the dust mites in the shafts of sunlight shining through the window. Worry began welling up inside her, and turning, she nearly ran from the classroom, down the hallway to the parking lot. She took the stairs two at a time, bursting through the doors, the bright sunlight forcing her to shade her eyes with the back of a hand. Reaching the parking lot, she immediately noticed the absence of a certain motorcycle, although she did happen to spot a sleek black Mercedes sitting a few yards away, many students doing a double take as their eyes widened in appreciation of a sexy vehicle. Even she had to admit, its driver had style. But that got her nowhere near finding Damon. Either he had left already…_or perhaps he hadn't even taken the motorcycle today_. Her mind threw her this relieving possibility and she thanked it gratefully before turning and walking as fast as she could towards the library.

"Elena, it's you!" Bonnie's cheerful whisper-shout broke the silence of the studying students as Elena entered the huge library. "What are you–"she broke off as she realized just how loud she was being, and guiltily waited until Elena had settled herself in an adjacent seat before going on. "What are you doing here? Do you have a class coming up?" The redhead had an unusually bright smile on her face considering she was studying government and economics.

"Well something obviously went your way this morning. Why the big smile?" Elena inquired lightly.

"Well normally I would be moping right about now, having to study on my free day, but you'll never guess who visited me!" she beamed.

"Damon?" Elena's stomach tightened and her heart grew frosty. She searched Bonnie's face for any reaction to the name, hoping only to find recognition, but instead seeing a bigger smile and a girlish giggle surfacing. This served only to make her slightly angry, and she wondered at the emotions blossoming inside her. Was she – no, this wasn't possible – jealous?

"Yes! Oh Elena, I didn't just imagine the way he acted in the Dark Dimension! I thought that maybe, after you joined us…" she trailed off into a slightly sad silence. "I thought for sure he would forget about me. But maybe, And now…" her smile now threatened to fall off her face if it grew any larger. Elena just wanted to slap it off her face, but held herself back, knowing her feelings were unjustified. So what if Damon saw Bonnie in his free time. It wasn't like she, Elena, was _dating _him…was it?

Completely oblivious to her friend's current attitude, the petite redhead went on. "He is just so…oh words can't even describe," she sighed dreamily. Now that she had someone to confide in, she found herself unable to halt the rush of words tumbling from her mouth, even as she observed the pained look becoming ever more pronounced on Elena's face. "He always teases me in a, you know, flirty way," she trailed off as she finally noticed how Elena was intently examining the tabletop as her hands knotted themselves over and over, a frown becoming increasingly more defined on her face. "Oh…no! Elena!" she cried, comprehension washing over her. "No! You finally got Stefan back so you two can be together, and you know I like da–!"

"I know what we did, Bonnie!" Elena interrupted in a whisper, choosing to ignore that last unfinished sentence. "You weren't the only one alone with Damon in the Dark Dimension, you do realize that right?" she hissed. Bonnie's face became blank with shock, and she stared at her friend for a moment before replying.

"You mean…The rumors are _true?_"

Elena, who was opening her mouth to continue her tirade, was brought to a screeching halt. "Rumors? What are you talking about, Bonnie?"

"The rumor! Caroline said that she walked in on you and Damon – well, _you know_. I assumed it was just Caroline blowing off steam again," she said, carefully reading every changing emotion on Elena's face, not liking what she found there. Her voice grew louder and more panicked as she demanded, "But…Elena, tell me the truth."

In horror Elena remembered her last glimpse of Caroline's retreating back as the girl has hastened out the door of the girl's bathroom…after witnessing her nearly in the lap of the one and only Damon Salvatore. After a short yet painful silence, Elena asked hesitantly, "Did she happen to mention a, um, bathroom?"

"Oh Elena you didn't! No … You did!" Bonnie stood, emotion catching in her throat, shoving books and papers and her laptop haphazardly into her bag. "You did! You…After everything I told you about how I…and _Stefan_…" She appeared at a loss for words as Elena watched her friend in shock.

"No, Bonnie, Wait! We didn't–" She was cut off by bonnie scrambling past her, walking in the direction of the door, head bowed; the telltale sniffling that began a tearful display had begun and she walked ever faster, desperate to escape the library of prying eyes. Lied to by her best friend, confused by the man she _– loved? _Her entire body froze as the realization of the word slammed into her with the force of a waterfall, deluging her in terrifying understanding. _Oh god, she wasn't – she couldn't be – there was no way she was –_

"Bonnie!" A hand, heavy, on her shoulder, and she snapped. Whirling with all the pent up anger, frustration of unrequited love, jealousy and fear, unshed tears, the crippling guilt of surviving; it all became focused in her in that one moment. Time bent around her as she moved, and she felt that she was a graceful dancer, spinning elegantly with an arm releasing in a deadly, smooth movement, hearing the roar of the crowd in her ears – or was that _adrenaline?_

The moment shivered back into existence, and the back of her hand smashed into Elena's right cheek.

It was glorious. Feeling the sting of skin on skin, watching Elena's head snap to the left, listening to her instinctive cry of pain echoing for a few seconds before it too faded into the dull roar still present in Bonnie's ears; registering the loud _smack_ that was resounding throughout the spacious library, seeing All eyes now blatantly turned in their directions. Forgetting to hide their stares, they all watched in rapture as new drama unfolded in front of them, and as Elena stood, cupping the now flaming skin of her face, Bonnie was proud. She turned and walked out, leaving Elena alone, isolated in a sea of strangers.

* * *

><p>"Well, we tried everything we could," Meredith sighed, sitting back, summoning the patience she had worked so hard for all these years. "Now, we wait."<p>

Stefan, not as patient, began his pacing once again; it seemed to be a habit of his now, to never stop moving. He felt that it brought him closer to his vampire instincts he was trying so hard to unearth once more. They were affecting him now, already; each human he passed smelled more delectable than the last, and the animal blood he had so adamantly drunk for the past century had stopped satiating his thirst for more than a few hours. This called for more hunting trips, and more bloodshed; he smiled as he remembered his previous kill, reliving the tearing of muscle and ripping of flesh in his mind with satisfaction. If only it had been Damon…he preoccupied himself with thoughts of enacting his murder and revenge, and for the moment he was happy once again.

"So tell me," Meredith broke the silence after a quarter of an hour, voicing her own thoughts. "What exactly are we going to tell sage if he even shows up?"

He was silent for a few moments before speaking. "The truth." Or at least his version of it, Stefan thought in amusement. He had finally come to terms with the fact that he was now going to lie to everyone he had ever called his friend, wondering at the old Stefan, who would never have had the balls to even feed on a human. And he had called himself a _vampire?_ What a pussy.

Meredith opened her mouth to speak when another deeper voice rang through the heavy air, hot with the midday sun. Its menacing growl, so unlike its usual cadence, inspired fear and visions of pain into the listener. "What did you want." It was a statement, not a question. Sage towered over them, arms crossed over a shirtless – as usual – and muscled chest. He remained Unmoving but for his steely eyes, which were leisurely flicking back and forth between the two forms before him, reminiscent of a cat's tail as it prepares to deliver the killing blow. When the silence stretched, his voice grew colder and the very room seemed to chill a few degrees as he glowered down at them. "_What_ is so urgent that you felt the need to summon me from across _dimensions_?"

"Damon." Stefan spoke blatantly, knowing sage had no patience for frivolous details; though, like Meredith, he was curious as to the reason of his foul mood.

"Your _brother_," he said slowly, each word permeating the room with a sense of danger and growing rage. "Is why I risked nearly everything to come here?" Slowly easing into a chair, he visibly forced himself to remain calm and continued evenly, "DO you have _any_ idea how risky it is to summon me like that? You are incredibly lucky no one unwanted intercepted the broadcast. I doubt you two could have been more obvious."

"Unwanted," Meredith repeated. "Like who?"

"Well I'm assuming you don't want the Guardians getting any more involved in your affairs any more than they already are. What with Elena and all–"

"You know what Elena's deal was, don't you!" Stefan leapt up, eyes glinting. "Tell me." He commanded. Sage growled in response, baring his teeth at the younger vampire as he shifted his weight in preparation of a lunge.

"Careful, boy," he warned. "Or I might just lose my patience." Relaxing back to his chair, he took a deep breath. "Contrary to popular belief, I do not have an unlimited amount of tranquility inside me. And to answer your question, yes I do in fact know what dear Elena has sworn. But unfortunately – for you – I am not the one you will get this information out of."

Stefan gave a growl of his own, though it was in vain. "Who then?"

"The only one who will ever be able to divulge any details is the bargainer herself–" Stefan's fist crashed into the table, interrupting his words; _through_ the table would be more accurate. With splinters of wood flying in all directions, Meredith jerked to her feet as the cracked and beaten table sagged to the floor, angry at his lack of control.

"_STEFAN."_ Her tone demanded attention and he glowered at her for a second before turning away. His eyes turned nearly pitch black with the depth of his rage, and never before had he bore such a striking resemblance to Damon than in that moment.

"Child, you are unbalanced," Sage murmured softly, before continuing. "However, there is something I can tell you." Stefan was a statue of infinite rage. "You know that Elena has held the nearly unobtainable interest of the Guardians her entire life, yet do you know _why_?" There was no movement in the small kitchen save for the pathetic creaking of the now broken table between them all. "I feel that it is vital for Elena to come to terms with this part of herself, and as there is no way I can ever see her again, my message must lie with you," he said, nodding at Meredith. She met his unblinking gaze with no fear, he noted with respect. "She must know eventually."

A nod from Meredith, and Sage began.

"They lied to you. Elena wasn't destined to _become_ a Guardian...she _is_ a Guardian."


	11. La Vérité, est Un Adieu

**So give me some feedback as to the, er, tweaks I made in the storyline. You'll see what I mean when you read the Sage part. Reviews, por favor? Love you all. Enjoy. A song to check out that helped with this writing would probably be...Unknown Soldier by Breaking Benjamin. Check it out.  
><strong>

The heavy atmosphere of shock remained over the kitchen, the silence unbroken for a long time as the information sank slowly in. Nobody said anything. After several long moments, Sage continued.

"I confess, _mes Amis_, I have not been honest with you either. Well, I have refrained from lying, but I have not been truthful. Let me begin again. I was a vampire," he began, holding up a hand to forestall the questions he saw forming in the eyes of the two shocked friends. "I _was_ a vampire, and I was staked. By all rights, I shouldn't exist right now. Yet of course, the Guardians are not known for giving up any Power they see." The bitterness in his voice was nearly tangible. He ran a hand through his bronze hair, and continued. "There have only been two vampires brought back from the true death, both in an attempt to gain infinite Power. Damon is one of them, and I of course am the other.

"Now I am a strange mix of Guardian and vampire, not dead, yet not fully alive; Damon and I are no natural born creatures now. While I have had time to adapt to this strange lifestyle, Damon has not. I fear for him, _Le petit tyran…_he will not have full control yet."

"Full control of what, exactly?" Meredith interjected sharply, eyes flashing.

"Everything; we are still vampire yes, but there is now Guardian in him, due to the overexposure of their raw Power and, to put it simply, his rebirth. It is not an easy transition. He'll find himself nearly twice as thirsty, and he will require more blood to satisfy his cravings. I do not know if even Elena can handle him," he paused. "On the topic of Elena once again – there are many things you do not know about her, and even more things she does not know about herself. As I said before, you must be the ones to tell her. I cannot risk returning here."

"Why?" It was the first time Stefan had spoken since Sage's earlier revelation.

"Let me speak child." Sage fixed him with a stare before continuing. "As a baby, she did not live here; rather, she did not live in the place you know of as 'Earth'. As an infant, she was cared for by none other than the Guardians, and – ah, you may see the irony in this – was selected to perform a special task." An intake of breath, and then he continued blatantly, "She was chosen to rid the dimensions of vampires, beginning with the one in which we now sit."

Meredith feared that Stefan had gone mad; that was the only way she could rationally explain the slightly maniac laughter now issuing from his mouth. He caught her incredulous look and attempted to restrain himself. Still chuckling, he managed a few words. "Well, I thought in all my years here, I thought I'd heard it all. But Sage, you manage to prove me wrong once again." His voice soured in the end and he fell silent, Meredith's worried gaze still lingering even as Sage spoke again.

"It appears to be a specialty of mine," he said softly, his dark eyes searching Stefan's face for a brief instance before he went on. "As I was saying, Elena alone was selected for this task. There is an old tale – more of a myth, really – that I heard a long time ago, not too long after my introduction into the Court life. Loosely translated, it amounts to: _One day there will be born a being to purify the air, to rid the spaces of that which harbors smoke_. Of course, like all beings, the Guardians are inclined to believe that this simple foreboding references their enemy: vampires. In their minds, a Powerful being – a Harbinger, to use the commonly accepted word – would eventually be born to cleanse the worlds of vampires, so ending the long competition for Power and dominance between the two. Of course, when word reached me of such a being's existence, I knew that I must act or die. After all, I was – and still remain – half vampire. I would have perished along with the rest." He leaned forward, his elbows on the table and his chin resting on interwoven fingers. "So I stole her."

"You…_stole_ her? A baby Guardian," Meredith's disbelief seemed to amuse him and he shot her a rare smirk, lighting his face and giving him a rather boyish look of mischief. She arched an eyebrow in response to this uncharacteristic change.

"Do you doubt my power, child? For that is what you are to me," he cracked his knuckles in an exaggerated fashion, before sitting back in his chair with an air of pure relaxation. "Simply a child."

"Only because you're so old," Their odd banter seemed to slightly ease the tension in the kitchen as Meredith folded her arms and flashed a barely seen grin. "Continue, continue."

Sage's booming laughter caused dust to spin in the air and the window panes to rattle in their frames, before the sound ceased as quickly as it had begun. "So yes, I admit, it wasn't the easiest thing I've managed to do in my prolonged existence, but I succeeded. I brought her to the place farthest from the minds of the Guardians, a place where, at the very least, it would take them many years to discover her exact location – the dimension you have come to know as Earth. There was a young couple, childless, looking to conceive – and I merely sped the process along. I planted the memory of Elena so deep in the Gilberts' minds they could never unearth the truth without the complete unraveling of their psyche. And then I returned, to face what I had done.

"They knew it was me, of course. Yet my _father_," the word fell from his lips more harshly than the rest, "would never let them kill me. I daresay he finds my troubles – my sins – amusing. Regardless, I have never fully gained the Guardians' approval since then. However such 'potential Power' must not be wasted, so here I am. Under close observation nearly every second, with limited Guardian Powers; Damon may in fact be as powerful as me with his newfound strength," he mused. "Or perhaps not, for I still outlive him by many, many centuries..."

"How long did it take the Guardians to track her down?" Meredith had no patience for personal contemplation and time consuming tangents. He had procured her undivided attention; something very few ever achieved, he noted, and something she did not take kindly to having wasted. Stefan on the other hand watched him with a feigned disinterest, something Sage's keen eyes easily saw through.

"By the time they caught up to her, the Gilberts' had given birth naturally to a baby girl. They watched, they waited…they made their move only a few years later, which resulted, as you both know, in the death of Elena's parents. After that disastrous failure, they contented themselves with the observation of her life. Rather, they thought of her as a specimen to watch, and what they discovered was…miraculous, to say the least.

"Allow me to pause for a brief moment and explain to you the concept of blood: sacred to both vampires and Guardians alike, not only for its sustenance, but the Power it brings. Stefan, you are most certainly aware of the Power of Elena's blood." Deliberately excluding Damon from their conversation, he continued, "Think back to that day when we first journeyed to the Court – Elena was at the point of unbearable strain and emotional fatigue. We successfully Influenced her to forget the events of that day. Now, boy, why was she so easy to Influence?"

Stefan released his breath in a sharp sigh. "I had drunk some of your blood," he looked at Sage for confirmation.

"Aye, my blood makes all the difference. Drinking the blood of a Guardian temporarily gives you the Powers of one of us; specifically, it gives you the Powers of the Guardian from which you drank. Each Guardian has a Gift, a special and sometimes unique Power with which they are particularly adept. To give you an example, mine was communication and connection with animals. In Elena's case, she possesses the Gift of Wings - the reason she was chosen to be the Harbinger. While not being a completely unique talent, it is undeniably invaluable; it takes the average Guardian nearly a century to fully master their Wings, and Elena has learned almost full control in under two decades _without training of any kind, _living as a human nonetheless_._ Unaware of the existence of the Guardians and much less of her own ancestry, she still managed the complete manifestation of her Wings, using them to wipe out all forms of life – in this era and forevermore – on an entire moon. This is unheard of. Never before has there been someone with her level of Power, and they sensed this even in her infancy. She is remarkable, more so than any of us can comprehend, so much so that even she does not realize the full extent of her capabilities. But here…this is the crux of our dilemma, and the reason I am here today; if you _completely _drain a Guardian, rather than sample their blood, you inherit their Gift, which will remain in you for the rest of your existence. So if you drain a Guardian, you become one, in terms of ability and raw Power."

Silence blanketed the kitchen now, smothering any remains of the earlier banter and leaving only the heavy atmosphere of anxiety and a ponderous understanding that weighed upon the three. When no reply was offered, Sage took a breath and continued.

"Unfortunately, the unintentional acquisition of her Powers has driven the Guardians out of their long observation and turned them against her; they have now given up on her potential as an exterminator. Rather, they view her now as a danger. With all that dormant Power residing inside her, it is only a matter of time before it attracts the notice of a vampire…and all hell breaks loose. This is why the history of Vampires and Guardians is a long and bloody one. It is young vampires who, in their ignorance, unbalance our coexistence from the precarious understanding it has established," he growled. "These Power hungry _fools_ who crave ability far beyond that which is natural, and attempt to kill and drain Guardians.

"I fear they view Damon as one of these vampire who seek unimaginable Power – which, by no stretch of the imagination, he certainly _was_, if not still _is._ They have already cultivated a great respect for his skill and this is what worries me."

He paused again to let the full comprehension of all he had told them sink in. Meredith broke through her shock first, struggling to put into words the terrible precognition she had stumbled upon in her whirling thoughts.

"So, if Damon was to drain her," she began, hardly hearing her words as they cut through the palpable tension in the air, "He would completely regain all the Power…that took him centuries to achieve… plus the Wing abilities…plus whatever _other_ Powers are still laying inside Elena?"

"Yes, that's exactly correct."

Stefan vaguely realized that Meredith had lowered her head to her hands; he was more preoccupied with his racing memories. Even before his death, Damon had been incredibly Powerful, most of which was severely honed skill that would never be lost. He had been so fast, so strong in their last fight… If that back-stabbing bastard was to drink anymore of Elena's blood there was no way anything would be able to stop him. And beyond a shadow of a doubt, Stefan was sure his brother would have no qualms about draining a single human to achieve his ultimate goal of Power. Finally surfacing from his thoughts, he offered his opinion on the matter. "…Fuck."

"Precisely," Sage said tersely. "While I do not believe with certainty that Damon would in fact commit such an act–"

"I do–" Stefan interjected.

"–the Guardians obviously do. And when they believe something, they act on it immediately. But they returned Damon to her anyway, knowing the risk of her blood, even in its now diluted state; they merely decided to clip her wings, not tear them as I feared. While Guardians act with haste, they never act without a plan. Therefore I believe they _rely_ on the call of her blood, anticipating that Damon will surrender and drain her; only then will they make their move to collect him and harvest his Power for their own.

"This I think is their ultimate plan. To restore their Harbinger's Powers to them, through a complicated passage of blood. DO you understand?"

"So basically, they are counting on Damon to drain Elena for her Power, and then they want to drain him to get Elena's original Power back to them?" Meredith struggled to set straight the overflowing amount information she had received.

"Yes, this I believe is what they plan. They would never chance the loss of something so valuable as the Power that Elena has so far displayed."

"Fuck," Stefan repeated wryly.

"And be warned – Elena is unstable as well. She will be unsure of her emotions and they will affect her differently now that she has started to unearth even deeper wells of her Power. Be careful; she may grow angry very fast, or bounce from one emotion to another with startling speed." A pause, before he sighed. "Now that you fully understand the underlying problems you face, I must leave. I have told you everything you need to know, everything I can tell you."

Stefan stood abruptly, gazing down at the still seated Sage in disbelief. "You leave us? _Now_, you leave after telling us _this_?"

"If I remain here any longer, everything will go to waste. They will smite us all," he said gravely and stood, Meredith following suit. They ringed the remnants of the table as though gathered around a tombstone, gazing at each other solemnly. "I won't be coming back; it's too risky. I bid you this final goodbye, in the faith that you will use the newfound information as it should be justly used." His tone contained a hint of warning before he smiled sadly, the deep bass of his voice resting in the silence. "If I am completely honest, you have lifted a great deal from an old conscience… thank you, my friends."

"Thank you for risking the trip here, Sage," Meredith spoke genuinely; her face was somber as she faced her friend. "Goodbye, and good luck with…well, everything."

"Thank you," Stefan's quiet voice followed Meredith's unwavering tone. "And goodbye."

After a lingering look at them, he turned heavily and made his way up the creaking stairs to the bedroom. After a glance at the unmoving Stefan, Meredith walked hesitantly to the stairs and called up, "Sage?" before venturing into the shadowy stairwell. "Sage? What–"

She stopped dead upon entering the room and finding it empty save for a lingering murmur of "adieu" hanging in the still air. It faded gradually into the dust and muted sunlight, until the only sign that he had ever come at all was the faint nostalgia that was heavily overshadowed by the weight that had descended upon them.

* * *

><p>Everything was quiet; everything was nearly deserted, actually. Elena stared around her petulantly. The day seemed oddly cold, a contrast to the sun beaming down upon her shoulders and the breeze that seemed hell bent on tickling her cheeks with the strands of her own hair. She brushed them away impatiently, in no mood for life's simplicities. She sat beside the black mustang that was now alone in the lot, using it as her shield from the sun, wishing she could use it as her shield from all the drama that was unfolding around her, encasing her in its fickle hand. Why had Bonnie snapped? It wasn't as if she and Damon…she shoved herself up from the pavement, refusing to let her brain run in the same circle of thought yet again. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she glanced around before she felt a sense of urgency overcome her. <em>Where. Was. He?<em>

She judged it to be about three o'clock. Craning her neck, she had just resigned herself once again to her futile search when a familiar voice interrupted the silence.

"Going somewhere, my dear?"

She spun on her heel, hair streaming in a golden halo around her shoulders before coming to rest against her back again. She gazed into Damon's eyes – no sunglasses, she noted randomly – and narrowed her own. "Where have you _been_? I have been sitting out here–" He cut her off with a sigh; this only added fuel to her fire as she grasped his hand and practically threw it aside, advancing forward. So focused on him as she was, she scarcely noticed as he captured her hand, entwining her fingers with his; he kept them there, swinging them ever so slightly at his side. "You show up right here, after _hours_ of silence and seriously expect me to–" She was silenced as he brought up the fingers of his other hand and placed them against her lips in the classic 'be quiet' gesture.

"Angel, you worry too much." His carefree reply proved to be a mistake as her eyes narrowed even further and she looked ready to stab something.

"I _worry_ too much? I…I…" she trailed off into indignant silence, unable to express the extent of her feelings and so resorted to simply staring at him in angry disbelief. After several seconds of this she seemed to give up and shook her head. After attempting to brush her hair out of her face, she realized that he had captured her hand, and before Damon's eyes she transformed; no longer an irritable woman but rather an enraged goddess, she turned on him. "You know something Damon, you're a dick!" Ripping her hand free, she started towards him, and he watched her unmoving, one eyebrow raised in amusement. Planting her hands on his chest, she shoved herself away from him and whirled, storming off without any idea of where she might be going. The woods caught her eye and she practically ran towards its shady seclusion, wanting nothing more than to get away from the man she had been so desperate to find only a few minutes ago. He stood behind her, caught momentarily off guard, one eyebrow still raised – though now in confusion.

Elena, hearing no sounds of pursuit from the vampire, was both happy and a bit aggravated. She _knew _he really didn't care about her...her anger spiked yet again, distracting her. She had to admit, she wasn't sure where her anger had sprung so suddenly from... She tried to sort through her blur of emotions. It began with relief – relief that something hadn't torn Damon from her life yet again after everything she had done to retrieve him safely. Oh god, was she an overprotective mother to him now? Oh yuck; she had always despised clingy boys, and now she was just as bad as them. And relief for another reason, she forced herself to admit; relief that he had come to her, that she was on his mind; that she mattered to him…It was odd, she supposed. She had always had boys chasing her for her affection, and now she was the one wishing so desperately to be important to someone. Not someone; _him…_

After a few seconds, during which she unashamedly wallowed in her own longing, her mind moved gratefully on. After relief, the flash of confusion had set in momentarily; why was he wearing no sunglasses? He always wore them, especially on a day like this, with hardly any clouds in the sky to obstruct the ever-present sunlight. Besides, he always made a point of wearing them in public because of the fact that his eyes had a tendency to, well, cause everyone who looked into them to forget what they had been about to say. Did he just not care anymore? Well obviously not, if he was taking side trips to see _Bonnie_, she thought sourly. What else had he been doing that she wasn't aware of?

_Shut up,_ she told herself. _You're not his fucking girlfriend. Stop acting like it._

By now she had reached the shadows of the trees that stretched out over the grass; she plunged into them without a backward glance, smug at the thought of Damon's worry for her safety. _If he worried that is…_ I thought I told you to shut up, she thought irritably. She barely noticed the low hanging branches that brushed the top of her head, tangling her hair, and merely batted them aside and kept walking; the deeper she pushed into the forest, the more tangled and close knit the trees became, and her sweater began to catch on the sharp thorns of the bushes and branches she brushed against. Pausing only for a moment to pull herself free from their determined grasp, she continued through the growth towards the heart of the woods, lost in thought once more.

From her confusion there had sprung longing and abandonment, somehow blending to become one razor-sharp knife plunged deep in her chest, and Damon's casual approach had done nothing short of twisting it into her heart. He obviously didn't care for her as much as she cared for him…there was nothing to do except face the fact that _Damon didn't love her. _He had, for a long time, she knew. But, she supposed bitterly, as soon as I come close to admitting the truth of _my_ feelings, his change. _Maybe this was how Stefan felt. _It dawned on her what exactly she had done to him. _I loved him, I really did…but I loved Damon too. Even if I didn't admit it, I did. _

Fuck karma.

Something grabbed her hair, yanking her unmercifully from her ruminations. Dropping to her knees, she beat at it with her hands, grunting as she felt whatever it was cut into her palms with sharp thorns. She lunged forward from her knees while turning, and managed to rip herself free from the tree's branch. She felt a split second's success until she realized that her momentum was too great and tried in vain to stop her backwards motion, managing only to trip over her own feet; ahead of her a dried creek awaited, the blanket of dead leaves offering scant protection from the angular rocks. A sharp cry was pulled from her lips as she overbalanced and fell backwards, arms reflexively splayed to brace herself for the inevitable impact. Her head jarred abruptly and her back was on fire, as she heard the echo of a sharp crack. Why was everything so dark…? Oh, her eyes were closed. Upon opening them, she discovered with some curiosity that everything was softer and carried a slight blur; her eyes wheeled uncomprehendingly over the trees towering above her. The back of her head was wet, and Elena giggled at her next childish thought: her head was _peeing…_bad head, she thought happily, and she shut her eyes again.

The world seemed very far away from her now…it was in a hurry to leave her, for she was falling behind, lost in the fuzzy new world. Goodbye, world…it skipped away, and she whimsically wondered if it would get where it was going on time…

Slowly Elena realized that she was in the arms of a very warm someone and that they were talking to her, but she decided at that moment that it was a perfect time for a nap.

* * *

><p>"Elena, dear, don't move please."<p>

Something warm was sliding slowly down her cheek, and she reached up to investigate.

"I'm afraid that is considered 'moving'", the man – for the voice was unmistakably male – said, and she felt her wrist caught in an unbreakable, yet gentle, grip. She realized she was restrained by warm, steel bars and that liquid kept sliding down her face, infuriatingly slow.

With a grunt, she twisted in her restraints and felt them tighten. She tried to open her eyes, to no avail. Panic began to rise inside her, and she kicked out with all her force, feeling her foot connect with a _crunch_ to whatever was holding her down. The bars tightened further and for a few terrifying seconds, she expected them to continue tightening around her infinitesimally, until–

The fear and desperation inside her that had been kindling since the Celestial Court – no, since she had been introduced to the alternate world of Guardians and danger and vampire brothers – reached the bursting point inside her, swelling past the edge of her sanity and dragging her along; it all overflowed and came rushing out in a long cry, which, despite its wordless form, carried the intensity of the emotions roiling inside her.

**_!_**

She had expected no reply to her scream, but received one none the less.

_…Elena?_

**Officially titled, and second part uploaded, but made into a new chapter.**** R&R Please! ~:D**_  
><em>


	12. Ignorance Is Blindness

**HERE IT IS! AHH! I'm just as excited as you, if you can believe it. First, apologies are in order. Life hates me right now, I guess, but I pulled through and got this shit done! *happy dance*. Be happy, because I skipped homework for this. Secondly, I hope you like it. This is my first smut, ever, so Please please please R&R. Truthfully, that makes me update faster. Sending good vibes to everyone that takes the time to read my writing. I appreciate all of you :) happy reading! A song to check out that helped me So much with this chapter would be Skin by Sixx: AM. They are AMAZING.  
><strong>

…_Elena? _She froze. Nothing was spoken out loud, yet the dulcet voice persisted with a slight echo. _Elena? _The steel bars tightened around her again, making her shift in uneasiness until they abruptly withdrew. _I'm sorry – Elena. There, you're free now. _

She fought against the darkness that hung over her and finally succeeded in opening her eyes. Slowly she registered a familiar face suspended above her, dark eyes worrying despite their cold reputation. She opened her mouth and tried to form coherent words, slowly managing, "Damon?"

"How did you–" he paused, before asking a different question. "How do you feel?" His hands swept gently over her face, sweeping a few tears away in the process. She didn't reply, instead staring up at him, remembering her earlier anger. She recalled their conversation – if you could call it that – and her walk through the woods…but was at a loss as to how she ended up…where was she? As she tried to turn her head, he caught her cheek in one hand and restrained her gently, whispering, "Angel, don't move, please. I need to heal you first."

She knit her eyebrows as she gazed up at him in confusion. He was so…gentle; so unlike the usual Damon. Maybe her eyes were fooling her, as the world did still look a bit fuzzy.

"Stefan?" She inquired hesitantly.

The worry in the dark eyes frosted slightly, withdrawn into the depths; the black orbs were flat, a stone wall erected within them. "Sorry Elena, wrong brother." His voice seemed somehow unrecognizable to her ears...colder.

"Where am I?"

"You're in your bedroom."

"How did I–" She broke off as the room tilted; it had taken all her concentration to speak, and it was impossible to continue with the added distraction of dizziness. She chose to gaze at her closed eyelids rather than the spinning ceiling, listening for that reassuring voice of earlier, the strange one that echoed in her head.

_Elena, say something, _the voice commanded. When she offered no reply, it spoke again, resolved now. _This is for your own good. I'm sorry–_

The voice cut off abruptly and she was left in an empty silence to wonder at the words. Sorry? If this was Damon – and she still had her doubts – she should be terrified, because Damon was never sorry for anything. Even after he–

Fangs pierced the curve of her neck, the sudden invasion startling her out of her thoughts and she began to thrash before quickly being restrained once more; the pain cut deeper in her throat until she thought it would surely snap it in two. Her scream echoed, though her ears heard nothing, and although her struggling did nothing to halt the pain relentlessly building with the passing seconds, she refused to let herself be taken over easily. Despite the reaction to the mention of Stefan's name, she was still confused as to who was actually doing this to her. Stefan wouldn't do this…would he? He had been so angry the last time she had seen him…would he be this cruel?

_Well, _a small voice insisted, _Damon definitely wouldn't do this to you._ She refused to acknowledge that tiny voice, her continual shriek of protest sounding louder and longer than before; suddenly she felt a strange shifting in her mind, almost as if a distance had been erased, a dusty circuit finally closed.

_Elena? _The melodious voice returned as suddenly as it had vanished. _Can you hear me?_ Her only reply was the same scream of anger and agony, growing more intense with every passing moment. _Almost…done. _Abruptly the pain disappeared and she sobbed her gratitude to the ghostly voice.

_Who are you? _She asked it in wonder. Her eyes remained closed, should the voice abandon her if she were to lay eyes upon reality.

_You still haven't figured it out?_

_Are you an angel?_ She asked tentatively.

_Trust me, I am the farthest thing from an angel. _The voice was amused now, yet also rueful. Regret tinged the lovely cadence of the thought – for that's what they were speaking in, she realized belatedly. Thoughts, not words; throughout the entire conversation, not a word had been uttered aloud. As her mind grew clearer, and the room slowed its spinning, she dared to open her eyes. A face came into focus above her, dark hair falling into dark eyes as the man leaned closer to her. _Recognize me now?_

_Damon…? It _is_ you._ She carefully tried to mask her surprise, but failed miserably.

_Why is everyone surprised every time I do something nice? _He asked sarcastically, before reaching down and yanking a blanket over her, smoothing it down and tucking it around her. His thumb rubbed lazy circles on the back of her hand as if to calm her down; it had the opposite affect however, sending her heart beating slightly faster. She opened her mouth to speak out loud but he shushed her, before responding to her questioning look in a thought. _You shouldn't speak yet. I'm sorry about your neck, but it was a necessary part of the healing process. Well, I shouldn't even be taking the time to explain this to you, as I'm not finished healing you yet. But you deserve it._

This merely started more questions clamoring in her head. _How is this possible…this telepathy? I was under the impression that the Guardians stole it? _Even disoriented as she still was, she picked up on the resentment in her thought.

_They did. _

_Well, splendid. Why do I have it back?_

_That, I don't know._ Wow, Damon admitting ignorance?

_Why so modest all of a sudden? _His only reply was a raised eyebrow and silence. Suddenly she remembered something important he had mentioned earlier. _What was the healing process you were talking about?_

_Ready to finish it?_

_Well it does seem important._

He stopped rubbing her hand, and her first reaction was one of disappointment, and then confusion at the disconcerting feeling. Before she had time to contemplate further, Damon shocked her by bringing his wrist up to his lips and, without breaking eye contact, bit down sharply without so much as a wince; the only sign of discomfort she could detect was a slight tightening of his eyes. She went to reach for his arm automatically with a gasp that scraped her throat, before realizing that trying to pry his arm away would merely make his injury worse. With nothing to do except watch his blood drip to the bedspread, helplessness filled her.

_What are you doing?_ She demanded. One arm was extended toward him, frozen with indecision, the other still caught under the blanket in her hurried attempt to free it earlier.

_Healing you, _was his short reply. He offered his wrist to her, blood falling dangerously close to her hair splayed over the pillow. His eyes bored into hers still, his reflecting none of the alarmed worry she knew hers revealed. Her eyes were drawn to the crimson droplets smeared on his lips and chin, contrasting with his pale skin, and licked her lips in anticipation of what she instinctively knew she would have to do.

_Eager, are we?_

Ignoring that jibe, she lifted her body slightly to raise the edge of the blanket and he slid in beside her, holding his wrist high to avoid getting blood all over them as well as the sheet. He faced her on his left side, and she rolled to her right, bringing them face to face. It was only now, as she strained to make out his face, did she realize just how dark it was. Twisting her head to glance out the window, her eyes confirmed that the sun had indeed already set, and she saw that rain was beginning to fall. _Wow, how long was I out?_

_Quite a while, it's already about seven o'clock. Now you know why I was so worried. _Damon Salvatore, admitting he was worried too? What was going on…?

She faced him again, staring at him hard. _Why are you being so honest? _Instead of answering, he brought his wrist to her lips, so close that she could _smell_ the blood. Oddly enough, it wasn't unappealing. She inhaled deeply, focused on a small drop of blood sliding slowly down his skin. A fleeting slip of her tongue, and it was gone. It tasted even better than it smelled, and she couldn't resist its allure any longer, pressing her lips against his wound and drinking deeply, as if it was the only thing on earth that could quench her thirst.

_Mm…_

She felt his strength filling her, felt herself slip between the layers of his mind, falling deeper into his psyche, essence of Damon surrounding her. Down deeper into familiar territory now, she navigated by memory rather than wandering blindly; the little boy materialized before her through a strange fog. _Elena!_ He cried in pure happiness, running to her, wrapping her in his slender arms. She felt contentment radiating from him and noted in happiness that, for now at least, there were no chains to burden him. For what seemed like a long time they remained still, each simply enjoying the presence of the other, until she began.

_I've missed you terribly._

He smiled a brilliant smile, free of any of the pain she had seen at their previous parting. In that smile she saw a glimpse of what the grown Damon would look like without the added weight of experience and memory, and her heart yearned for that. In that moment she vowed that she would do everything in her power to see that one day.

_And I've missed you. I knew you'd come back._ He spoke with the conviction that she now expected from Damon, and she smiled in return.

_How have you been, darling?_

_It's been much better now. _He's _been much kinder now. It was all because of you, wasn't it?_

_I'd like to think so,_ she replied, before pausing, the memory of Bonnie in the library bring her down for a few seconds before she shoved it aside. This wasn't the time for sadness; any moment here, with the little boy, _her_ little boy, was a moment to be cherished. _Where did the fog come from though?_

_Well, I can't remember exactly, _confusion clouded the small face as he concentrated hard. _It's been here since I…came back. I was gone…for a while. I don't remember where…_ he frowned. _But then…I was back. And the fog was here._

Elena thought she knew what he was referring to. Damon's death certainly would rid the little boy from his mind, because there would no longer have been any mind the child to exist within. She didn't dwell on that painful thought, instead concentrating on the reassuring fact that she was there with him now, and she was complete. But still, the fog nagged at her…

The raven-haired child interrupted her thoughts. _Are you happy? _He asked seriously. _That's what he always wonders, you know._

She felt a curious smile spreading across her face. _Really?_

_Of course, he cares for you. We both l– _He broke off suddenly, looking up fearfully. _No! You have to go now. I'll miss you. Visit soon, please?_

_Panic seized her. Will you be okay here, with the fog, alone–?_ She could feel herself being drawn away, up through the heavy mist; she could barely make out his figure through the haze. His next words lifted her spirits despite their premature goodbye.

_No one is ever alone._

* * *

><p>As Elena settled back into reality, she realized that she hadn't answered his question of <em>visit soon?<em> She now promised him silently that she would, before taking in her surroundings. Rain was falling outside; she could hear the soft, pleasant sound of rainfall and distant thunder.

The next thing Elena realized was that the wrist was gone. Upon opening her eyes, she frowned at its absence, causing a smirk to appear on Damon's bloodstained face. _You sure are greedy. I'll need some blood left for myself, you know. _She eyed his bloody lips, and this didn't escape his notice. He pressed his lips to the healing wound on his wrist one again, staining them with fresh blood, before grinning mischievously at her. Her eyes met his once again and she scooted closer, before realizing that this pinned one of her arms uncomfortably between them; she simply wrapped it around his neck, relaxing against his lean body. Now she could smell the blood on his lips rather than his wrist, but it held the same appeal as the blood earlier – if not more. She leaned slowly forward, knowing that it was not only the _blood_ she wanted to taste…

Their lips met slowly, and she felt his hesitation. How odd, that he should hesitate now, when she knew this was what he had desired for so long. But she felt him freeze under her lips, and pulled away, disappointed. His eyes were closed.

_?_

He felt her confusion, and opened his eyes. Beneath his carefully constructed composure, Elena knew he must be roiling with emotion, yet none of it was revealed to her. She gazed into his eyes, and saw his feelings written there; anger, pain, desire, concern, confusion…

She couldn't take it. Slowly, she pressed her lips to his again, never breaking eye contact, and pulled away after a simple, chaste kiss. The anger and pain in him had given way to wonder, and as she leaned forward again he met her halfway for yet another innocent kiss. How could such a simple kiss contain such…passion? She pondered this idly, as their lips moved harmoniously together and her fingers would themselves into his dark hair. His fingers lazily wandered over her ribcage, and her heart beat an unstructured rhythm. The world fled, leaving just the two of them, alone yet in perfect completion with each other. The current moving between them was unlike any she had felt before; emotion so deep, so _real,_ took her breath away with its power. There was nothing more perfect than this kiss, in all its simplicity, yet she also found herself scared by just how vulnerable this feeling left her.

Slowly he pulled back, both of them breathing hard, and he closed his eyes to her gaze. Resting his forehead against hers, he sighed. _Well, time for me to go._

Hurt flared deep and sudden, segueing into anger that shot through her like a silver bullet. _What did you say?_

He opened his eyes, and she was shocked to see the icy stare she received. She stared right back, and the silence dragged on; she refused to speak first. His eyes closed again and he broke the took his arm from around her waist and instead laid it awkwardly between them. _Now is the time you run back to Stefan, _he said matter-of-factly.

The mention of his name jarred her, inflamed her rage. _Fuck you, Damon. Fuck…you._ She pushed him away from her and threw off the blanket, ignoring the draft of cold air that hit her arms as she stood, still in her clothes from the afternoon. She stalked to the window, gazing into the darkness of the night outside. The anger coursing through her was so intense that it left her unable to speak. How dare he…? She whirled around to find him standing directly behind her, and jerked back, hitting the window and rattling the glass. Her hand took flight and connected solidly with his cheek, the sound of her slap harsh in the silent room. Her writs were suddenly immobile, pinned in his rigid grasp and she started screaming at him, continuing to communicate only through their private connection. _Who the fuck do you think you are! What happened – all that actually _meant _something to me! _She began to thrash in his grip, trying to hit him again. He watched in silence. _Was that all just a joke to you? Well fine, take all your pride, all your sarcasm, and get the fuck out. Why…?_ By this time the tears began to fall, whether from rage or misery she didn't know. _How could you do this? I thought…I trusted…_ She stopped struggling and simply stood, not bothering to stem the flow of tears, nor free her restrained wrists. Her head fell back against the windowpane with a muffled bang, but she couldn't find the will to give a rat's ass. Silence reigned once more, aside from her labored breathing as she fought to control her tears, until she spoke flatly. _Of course you don't care._ She resumed staring at the ceiling.

_A joke?_ He said finally. _How could you believe I didn't care? That this was a joke to me? _Now _he_ sounded angry. Well, good for him.

_You bring up _Stefan. _What the hell am I supposed to think? Why the fuck–_

_You always go back to him. Why should this time be any different? _His grip on her wrists tightened until it was nearing painful. _But that doesn't mean I don't care._

_Still…don't bring him up like that…_Elena's anger was fading rapidly now that she was feeling guilty. She did always run back to Stefan…but that was because she loved him… right?

_When are you going to acknowledge the truth? _Damon persisted. He released her wrists, but stepped closer. _You just told me that our kisses meant something. Were you lying?_

_No, _she admitted moodily.

_Then isn't it obvious?_

_Isn't what obvious?_

_That this isn't a joke to me. But one thing you should already know about me, _he rested his forehead on hers once more, wiping away her lingering tears, _is that I don't stop fighting for things I love._

Then he was kissing her again, differently than before, harder and deeper and seductive. Oh, he was good. She saw his plan now; provoking her, getting her to admit her feelings…that bastard. She kissed back, twice as hard, smirking slightly. Two could play at this game.

She felt her fire returning to her, after Damon had extinguished it and then rekindled it, knowing exactly what to say to manipulate her. Strange, no man had ever had the ability to affect her like that before…except him. Yet she realized that, in a way, it wasn't manipulation at all. It was the game, the constant game they had been a part of since he had emerged from the darkness during their first encounter. A game of love and hate, give and take, with only one constant: they couldn't stay away from each other.

Then a thought struck her, completely derailing her train of thought. _Wait…did he say 'love' earlier?_ Before she could open her mouth to speak, he bit down sharply on her lip, and she opened her mouth to gasp instead. Damon, never one to miss opportunities, slid his tongue over her lips teasingly, before biting her lip again, softer this time. Suddenly, she was in his arms, and then the support of a mattress was beneath her, with the muscular body of Damon above her. Without breaking their kiss, she wound her arms around his neck, tugging at the tendrils of his dark hair.

He began unbuttoning his shirt as his tongue snaked its way into her mouth, teasing hers for a few moments before he pulled away to remove his shirt completely, exposing the smooth muscles of his stomach and chest to Elena's appraising eyes. He continued licking her lips with a dart of his tongue before resuming simple kisses, leaving her unsatisfied. Gradually they lost themselves in the heat now engulfing them both, and Elena clutched him closer, wrapping her legs around his waist; securing his hips to hers, she began slowly moving against him, unable to prevent a quiet moan from escaping her as she felt the hardness of his arousal. She let her hands wander over the firm muscles of his chest, feeling them tighten under her exploring fingers as he traced her outline as well. In a fluid movement she arched her back allowing him to slide her shirt over her head, and heard his sharp intake of breath at the sight of her. As if with a mind of their own, her hands found themselves gripping his toned back as he nipped sharply into the sensitive skin just below her ear. He smirked against her smooth skin as her nails dug into him and moved lower to her neck, before biting with more force, stopping just short of drawing blood while sweeping his tongue across the bruises to mix the pain with radiating pleasure; Elena tipped her head back, unwilling to let the sensations stop.

Continuing his teasing, Damon's kisses moved gradually lower as her breathing increased its tempo. He licked slowly up the fabric cupping one of her breasts and she hummed in appreciation. Taking advantage of her distraction, he unclasped her jeans and slid a hand down her lower stomach, fingers gently rubbing her while remaining on the outside of her panties. Her only reaction to was to begin grinding her hips against his hand and he grinned at her response before completely pulling off her jeans, leaving her in only underwear.

One of his hands began running up and down her thigh slowly ascending higher and higher, while with his free hand he literally ripped the bra off of her body, leaving angry red welts across her back as the fabric bit into her skin before tearing away. She arched her now fully exposed chest against his and gasped aloud, feeling the pain shoot through her. However, the pleasant sensation of their naked skin against his, with the added distraction of Damon's tongue and fingertips on her skin, was enough to balance the pain with pleasure.

_What do you want?_ He asked mockingly, receiving the answer as Elena slid a hand into his pants and wrapped her fingers around his rock hard manhood, stroking slowly. Groaning in reply, he began lapping at the raised peak of her nipple, gently tugging at it with his sharp teeth. She felt him slip a finger into her and he pumped it in and out, torturously slow for her liking, as she increased the tempo of her strokes; it was his turn to gasp as the pleasure filled his body, wiping away any coherent thought.

The room was filled with their grunts and gasps, until she managed _Please, faster!_ Damon quickly obliged, now shoving two fingers deep inside her, feeling her grow even wetter as her moans grew louder, sweet music to his ears. He brought his thumb up to slowly rub circles on her clit and she jerked, bucking her hips against his hand in pure pleasure, one of her hands clutching and twisting the satin sheets of the bed between quivering fingers. Kissing his way up her throat, he returned to slowly licking her lips, sucking on her tongue when it came out to mingle with his; she nibbled on his lower lip in response and was rewarded with him thrusting his hips into her dripping core. He sensed the beauty beneath him growing closer to orgasm so he returned to using a single digit to slowly finger her, prolonging her approaching release as she groaned in protest. Ignoring her frustrated noises of dissent he completely removed his hand from her and brought it to his mouth, seductively licking his fingers clean as she stared at him in total arousal.

_Give into me, _he whispered sensually, kissing his way down her body once more: down her chest, pausing to tantalizingly lick the skin between her breasts; past her stomach, dipping his tongue briefly into her belly button as she giggled; even kissing to her knee before journeying up her thigh with a series of licks and kisses. He finally reached her soaking lips below, and the sight of her wetness, all for him, made his cock even harder. He began licking her slit roughly, using long strokes of his tongue, savoring her unique taste. Her moans grew louder and longer as she approached climax once again; he could practically feel the knot in her stomach tightening in anticipation of the pleasure awaiting her, and he whispered to her again,

_Give into me…_ He started sucking gently on her clit, swirling his tongue ever so slightly, finally allowing her to tumble over the edge into mind-numbing bliss. She let out a cry of ecstasy as she came undone in front of him, because of him, pleasure wracking her body as she descended from her peak of pleasure.

He crawled up her body, capturing her lips with his own and rubbing his still pulsing manhood against her core, coating it in her arousal before grinding forcefully against her once more. His grinding now skin to skin, his erection already slick with her juices, he managed to hold on to a single shred of self-control – that is, until Elena let out a primal groan and he heard her utter his name for the first time.

_Uunghh, Damon…please,_ she begged, out of her mind with want, and he was eager to comply. However, he forced himself to wait.

_You are positive,_ he asked her seriously, stopping to look into her eyes, his hand cupping her cheek softly. _That this is what you really want? _The atmosphere changed tangibly; all seductive air gone, she could feel his genuine care, a contrast to his teasing earlier. She nodded solemnly, holding his gaze, and he read the assent in her eyes. He hesitated a moment more, double checking, but when she gently pressed her lips to his softly, he continued. Struggling to keep a slow pace, he worked to slide his member inside her; the head of his manhood met her barrier and leaned down to kiss her, reaching up to entwine her fingers in his as he thrust forward quickly with a cry of pain from Elena. It was all he could do to not let go and fuck her senseless right there, but he refused to let himself hurt her any more than necessary and instead found the self-control to let his lover adjust.

What seemed like hours later, she finally sighed, _Mm…keep going. _He began to slowly move within her, sliding out and thrusting back again, starting slow. Gradually she began to rock back against his hips, eyes closing once more as pain transformed to unimaginable pleasure. Loud moans filled the room once again, a melody of bass and soprano growing louder with every passing moment as he increased his pace, pounding faster and faster until Elena dug her nails into his biceps. Grunting, he thrust even deeper, hitting that perfect spot again and again, and she arched against him in delight.

_Uunghh, Damon! Ooh, don't stop! Please!_ A constant stream of moans was issuing from her mouth now as her pleasure continued mounting. The sound of his name again nearly sent him over the edge; he was growing closer to his release with every second, his mind getting foggy with increasing pleasure and pain from her nails digging into his muscles. It merely spurred him on, as he fucked her faster and harder, his strokes lengthening as he rubbed her clit again with one hand while teasing an erect nipple with the other. Her breathing growing more ragged, she managed, _Damon, I'm going to…ungh…ooh I'm…I'm about to–!_

He sucked – hard – on her bottom lip, effectively silencing her and making her spasm in his arms once more, sending her climaxing with a great cry; arms and legs shaking as tremors of pleasure rolled through her body, she dragged her nails down his back roughly. He couldn't last much longer...thrusting deeply one final time as her inner walls clenched around him, he entered into the throws of intense bliss as well. He came inside her with a throaty moan, thrusting in and out for a few more moments, drawing out the pleasure for both of them until he rolled off of her with a final groan, sweat soaking the sheets around them.

Silence hung in the air for a few minutes, as the reality of what had just happened gradually sunk in. It was Damon who moved first, drawing her closer and surrounding her in a tight embrace; using a finger, he raised her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. As they locked gazes he easily read the turmoil stirring inside Elena's eyes and guilt rippled through him; did she actually think he had _used_ her? He brought her lips to his in a kiss, for a rare moment revealing his true feelings; it was so innocent and full of love that she could only pull back and blink at him in surprise.

Her only response was a loving kiss, showing him some feelings of her own. Smiling slightly against her lips, Damon was, for the first time in a long time, truly happy. It was a rather strange concept to him. Speaking words aloud for the first time all night, he murmured, "Thank you, darling."

Her eyes drifted closed and she snuggled closer to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his chest and one of her legs draped over his hips; the other leg was sandwiched between his own. He wound his arms around her waist and rolled her on top of him, and she stretched out on top of his chest, yawning. Smiling up at him, her fingers found his before she laid her head on his chest, her breathing deep and relaxed. He could feel her heart pounding, and smiled a genuine smile. He caught her staring at him, and raised an eyebrow.

She cleared her throat before rasping quietly, "That smile," as if that was explanation enough. He shrugged and held her close, and she drifted to sleep as rain continued to fall outside the window. Turning his head slightly, Damon caught sight of the moon in the black sky, and admired its beauty.

* * *

><p><strong>Fin.<strong>

**I've always wanted to write "fin" at the end of a sex scene. So I did :3 I hope you liked it! And I hope it wasn't too OOC. After all, love does bring out different sides in people. So please, take a minute and review...that is the equivalent of a hug! and I love hugs! :P So I am going to stop rambling and get to sleep because I have to get up for school in about four hours. Have a happy Thanksgiving my lovely readers! :]**


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